She Shall Rise Again
by Lady-Viscretus
Summary: Era: ROTS-ROTJ, Very AU. Padmé is placed in hibernation, after her force-bond with Anakin proved stronger than anyone believes. When she is awakened, she must face the ghosts of her past to save the ones she loves. But will she be able to forgive one Dark Lord of the Sith? Darth Vader/Padmé Amidala pairing. Some dark and emotional themes. VERY irregular updates, due to conflicts.
1. Prologue

Prologue

_The pain is unbearable. I feel as if someone is viciously ripping my body to pieces. I hear a scream ring out and somehow I know it's my own. It rings painfully in my ears as I turn my head. I manage to look up. Obi-Wan is beside me; his face tense. I hear a baby cry out. The Medical droid's soft voice spoke. "Isita oido." I took a deep breath, words still struggling to come. 'It's a boy' I thought, still unable to speak. I gathered precious air into my lungs. "Luke," I breathed. Bittersweet happiness filled my heart when I saw him. "Oh Luke," I repeated and I reached to touch his face. Another wave of pain took hold. Sharp, unforgiving. I screamed again, my eyes began to tear. The pain began to subside and the droid spoke again. "Isita oida." Obi-Wan's voice narrated my thoughts. "It's a girl." The wave of sad happiness filled my mind again. My breathing was harsh and rapid. "Leia," I managed._

My eyes fluttered and I struggled to form words.

"Obi-Wan, there's good in him… I know… I know there's still…" I gasped. My head fell to the side. The bright birthing room began to fade and my ears began to ring.

"_No! Anakin!" My breath caught in my throat.' How could he do this to me?' I tried to scream, but no sound came. My eyes blurred. My chest burned. A familiar voice rang out among my internal chaos._

_"Let her go, Anakin!" I felt my face begin to numb, the sulfur burning my eyes._

_'I can't breathe…Anakin… please…' I gasped. My mouth formed the words, but barely any sound came. Only the searing wind of the planet and my desperate choking met my ears. Then blackness, nothing._

My eyes opened again. I looked around rapidly, trying to figure out where I was. I glanced down, my eyes fixating on someone on a hoverbed below me. The familiar yet foreign walls of Polis Massa surrounded her. _That's me! _I started to panic, my chest tightening with every breath. _Where am I? Why can I see myself? Are the twins alright? _Questions raced through my mind, faster than a skiff. I closed my eyes again, willing myself to calm down. _I must be dreaming, _I thought, _hallucinating… or dead. _The latter wasn't very comforting. As I relaxed, I focused on waking up. Nothing happened. _Great. Just great. _I opened my eyes, trying to make the body below me do anything. Hoping by some strange miracle it would. My recent memories rushed through my head.

"_Padmé, I need your help. He's in grave danger."_ _I hear my voice, strained and worried, 'From the Sith?'Terror ripped through me, the thought of Anakin dying unbearable. Obi-Wan started speaking again, his voice becoming soft and tender._

_"From himself . . . Padme, Anakin has turned to the dark side."_ _The fear and anger gripped at my throat, denial causing me to become disoriented. I shook my head. 'You're wrong!_

_'How could you even say that?' My voice sounded foreign as bile began to rise in my throat._

_Obi-Wan turned away from me, and paced forward. He sounded tormented. "I have seen a security hologram of him," he took a pause, and my palms began to sweat, my head began to tingle. "Killing younglings." Shock made me reel. I attempted to regain my composure._

_'Not Anakin!' I felt as if I was suffocating. My voice rose higher, and became shaky. 'He couldn't!'_ _Obi-Wan turned, looking back at me. My breathing became harsh, I knew more unwelcome words were coming._

_"He was deceived by a lie. We all were. It appears that the Chancellor is behind everything, including the war. Palpatine is the Sith Lord we've been looking for. After the death of Count Dooku, Anakin became his new apprentice." Sweat began to dot my brow._

_I couldn't look at Obi-Wan, I needed to sit. My head span, I felt distant. 'I don't believe you ... I can't.'_

_My voice sounded parsecs away. I managed to find my way to the couch. Images swam in my eyes, my gaze locked on the empty wall across the room. I was only vaguely aware that Obi-Wan sat beside spoke softly again, but urgency broke through the façade._

_"Padme, I must find him." The bile rose further in my throat, and anger flushed my face. I knew what he wanted, what he felt was necessary. 'You're going to kill him, aren't you?'Again, I heard his falsely assuring voice, "He has become a very great threat."_

_In my head, frustration and anger formed words. _How could he think I would betray Anakin? _I wanted to scream at Obi-Wan, but I could only speak 2 words. 'I can't.' I looked away, trying to hide the hot tears that sprung to my eyes. I heard him move, and I glanced down at the Japor snippet._

_"Anakin is the father, isn't he?" Obi-Wan asked. I pretended I couldn't hear him. His words ripped through me, tormenting my soul. I didn't look up. I willed him to leave._

_"I'm so sorry." Despair filled me, and the anger threatened my composure once more._

_I waited until I heard him leave, and then I allowed the tears to run down my face. I called Anakin's name, hoping he would somehow respond. His words from the previous day entered my mind._

_"Please, wait for me." I couldn't, I needed to warn him._

The memory was broken as something caught my eye.

My eyes darted to the movement, and I saw Bail Organa and Obi-Wan Kenobi standing side by side in the viewing area. C-3P0 and R2D2 stood behind them. Obi-Wan was brushing his beard, a look of concern painted over his features. Bail's mouth was turned down, and his eyes seemed distant. _Oh Maker no! _Fear washed over me, my fingertips tingled, my throat felt like it was closing. I looked again at my motionless body on the hoverbed. _I can't be dead! No! Obi-Wan, I'm here… Look up! _I breathed out, my head feeling light. _Just breathe, Padmé. You can get yourself out of this._

Another voice startled me. It was robotic, the sound of the vocoder echoing through the rooms. "…she is gone. There is nothing more we can do. I'm sorry." My throat burned with fear and anger. Hot tears sprouted at my eyes.

"_Why can't you see me?" _I screamed, "_I'm right here. Luke…Leia… They need me!" _I stared down at my body again, this time I willed it to move, for my heart to beat, anything. My hope began to fade, and the harsh shadow of reality began to take over. _I'm dead…_ The words tasted metallic, like blood. _Dead. _I repeated it over and over again. The words sounded distant, I still felt as if I was dreaming.

Obi-Wan entered the room, sadness tainting his stormy eyes.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. I felt tears fill my eyes again, and I tried to blink them away. He reached for a stray lock of hair, and all of my emotion rushed to the surface. As his hand brushed my forehead, I shrieked. "_Obi-Wan!" _His hand recoiled in an instant. Shock flooded his face, as he glanced back at Bail. Bail rushed into the room, his mouth pressed into a tight line, fighting to keep the confusion at bay.

"What happened?" Bail looked over Obi-Wan's pale face. Obi-Wan didn't answer, his thoughts running rampant, he was unable to focus. Bail placed a hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder, attempting to bring him out of his trance. "Obi-Wan," He repeated, "What happened?"

"The Force…She spoke to me through the Force!" Obi-Wan's voice was soft, but riddled with emotion. "I….I heard her scream. She's terrified, extremely upset." He turned back, to look at my body. He knelt again, and hesitantly placed his fingertips on my head.

_"Obi-Wan!" _My voice cracked, as relief flooded through me. _"I don't know what's going on. I see you, I hear you. I'm floating outside of my body. I need your help. I need to live!"_

Obi-Wan's hand moved away again, a mixture of shock and relief on his face. He turned to look at Bail. "Bail, I need you to bring Master Yoda. Padmé is here, she is still speaking with me."

Bail stood for a moment, seemingly frozen. He looked at my motionless form, and then back at Obi-Wan. Finally, he seemed to comprehend what Obi-Wan had just asked. As this happened, Bail turned and rushed through the doorway. His boots clicked rapidly as he walked down towards the hangar bay.

Obi-Wan turned back to the hoverbed. He moved to sit, and closed his eyes. I knew he was trying to reach my energy through the Force. I watched him in his meditation, and listened to the soft hush of his breathing. I could almost feel his presence next to me. It seemed like an eternity before I heard the rhythmic clicking of Bail's boots once again. In between his footfalls came another, harsher noise. It sounded like wood. _Yoda's gimer stick._ I thought. _Thank the Maker!_

Bail came into the room, and Obi-Wan opened his eyes and stood slowly. Their eyes met, and Obi-Wan nodded a silent thank you. Both of them turned as Yoda entered.

"Obi-Wan. Padmé is here, you say?" Yoda questioned, his eyes scanning the room. Obi-Wan followed Yoda's gaze, trying to figure out what the old Jedi was thinking.

"Yes, Master Yoda. When I brushed away a piece of her hair, I heard her voice scream my name. I held my hand to her forehead, and she spoke with me again. She wants to live, she asked for our help." Obi-Wan glanced at Bail, and then back at Master Yoda. He started again. "She is using the Force as a medium. I tried meditation, and I could feel her energy. Unfortunately, I could not speak with her again."

"Very unusual, this circumstance is." Yoda sighed, and slowly walked over to the hover bed. "Only a few people have lived using the Force bond of surviving loved ones."

_Force bond? _I questioned, trying to get more answers. The answers to my questions seemed to get more obscure with each passing moment. _The twins? They aren't bonded with me, yet, are they? Ani! It must be him, I know it._

Obi-Wan looked at Yoda, shock widening his pupils. He opened his mouth, but did not say anything. He closed it, his shocked eyes now filling with a mix of emotions. _They're hiding something from me. I know it. _My anger began to bubble to the surface, and I wanted to lash out at Yoda. _Behind his wise features, he's deceiving me! I'm holding out on death, and they're worried about the Empire! _My face flushed, and my eyes narrowed. _Obi-Wan killed Anakin, and I bet they want to take away my children as well. _The fury became encompassing, and it threatened to explode.

My thoughts became less rational, my emotions uncontrollable. Every little thing the Jedi had done, seemed to become like an extra charge of Baradium. Obi-Wan opened his mouth again, and spoke, barely audible.

"She will find out, sooner or later. Can you help her?" Yoda looked up at him, a frown creasing his brow. He began to shake his head, and I could feel the regret emanating from him.

'_Why are you hiding the truth? Of all the people I thought I could trust!' I can't hold back any longer. They need to know what I'm feeling, what they've done to me._

I closed my eyed, and focused on Obi-Wan and Yoda. All of a sudden, I felt a shockwave rip through the room. My anger began to ebb, and I opened my eyes. Obi-Wan stood, his mouth agape. Yoda's eyes were wide, either in awe or shock. The room was in disarray, droids shut down in the corners, the wall cracked, and the large viewing window was shattered.

_Did I do this? _I felt confusion fill my chest. _How?_

Obi-Wan looked at Yoda, and asked "What do we need to do?" His voice was tense, yet it threatened to break at any moment.

"A moment, I need. Meditate, I must." Yoda replied. He was hesitant, still weighing the consequences. Yoda closed his eyes, and sighed. His breathing slowed, and became soft. After a few minutes, I felt a strange presence near me. Realizing who it was, I tried to reach out to it, and as I did it became more pronounced.

_Yoda, _I heard myself speak. _I am here. Can you help me? _The presence grew still, and I waited for a response. _Yoda, _I repeated again. I looked down at the three people I knew so well, and I waited again. Soon, Yoda's energy became discernible. I could almost see his figure floating near me. I felt him reach out to me.

"Release yourself, you must. Only allow to return, will the Force, if serene you become." Yoda's strange voice rang in my ears. "Relax, you should. Guide you, we will"

Hesitant at first, I closed my eyes once more.

I focused on nothingness, trying to forget my surroundings. _Relax, calm. _I told myself. _You are free. _I felt a pull, and I let go. I felt myself floating away from where I had been, and I felt Yoda's presence. Another pull, my entity moved further away. I continued to relax, and the cycle continued.

Suddenly, a bright light shone in my eyes. My ears began to ring, my body to tingle. The light's intensity grew, and I felt heat. My skin felt as if it was burning, my mouth felt dry, like the desert of Tatooine. My eyes felt like molten lava, my head began to spin.

Darkness.

I heard a noise, constant, rhythmic. As my ears stopped ringing, the noise grew louder. _What is that? _I asked myself. _What's going on?_ My eyelids felt heavy, as if I hadn't slept for days. I struggled to open them, to no avail. I tried to move my arms, nothing. I tried my legs, nothing. They seemed to burn with the effort. _Why can't I wake up? Did I make it back to my body?_

The questions swirled in my head and it began to throb. I tried to speak, but my lips were stuck together and my throat raw.

A voice rose from the uncertainty surrounding me. It was tinny and emotionless. _A medical droid._

"Jedi Masters Yoda and Kenobi, Viceroy Organa, we cannot keep the patient under sedation for much longer. There are two options that are available at this time. We can put her into hibernation - until she can be awakened - or we can take her off of life support. I suggest that she be placed in hibernation. The awakening process can often keep a patient stable for a long time period, even without medical intervention."

_What is wrong with me? Why can they not wake me up now? _Once _a_gain, questions began to take over and I felt helpless. I could barely hear the voices as they discussed the meagre choices. I felt as if I were underwater; the bass of their voices were the only sound to reach me. A numbing chill fell over me as I realized I was still dying. My fear crept out once again, before fading into a vaporous sigh of helplessness.

_Is there nothing I can do? _I reached out to the Force again, hoping that it would save me a second time. My effort was fruitless. I fell back into the arctic waters that surrounded my consciousness.

"MD-04, We shall put her into hibernation," someone decided. I recognized the voice. _Bail. Thank you._ I heard the repulsorlifts on the droid as he made his way closer to me. The cold appendages moved my arm slightly, and the temperature seemed to make my body ripple. The mechanical movement of the droid resonated in my head, and I felt pressure against my forearm. Pain flooded my body as the droid administered an injection.

My awareness instantly began to fade away and I struggled against the tide of drowsiness. Every part of me felt as heavy as permacrete. My brain resisted against the drug taking effect, but I knew I couldn't fight any longer. I tried desperately to find something to hold on to. A thought, a memory, a dream. Losing my grip on reality - even with my desperation to stay conscious - I knew I had just moments left. I reached for the twins; my heart was aching. They weren't there. Worry rose in my chest and then - I felt them. Relief dulled the pain as I tried to speak, to comfort them. As my voice failed to express them, I focused on the words again, only thinking and hoping that the twins would understand.

_Be strong. I love you._

As I my conscious self was fading, a memory took hold.

A familiar voice, one I held dear.

"_Don't be afraid." _Anakin. I tried to use his memory as a safe haven. Forget the pain he had caused me for one moment. He spoke again; more warmly than before. _"I love you."_

I stopped fighting. A peaceful emptiness washed over me and I drifted into the shadows.


	2. Found

1.  
_Found_

xxxxxx

Darth Vader turned at the sound of footsteps behind him. A young officer stood in front of his towering frame, his eyes large with surprise. Vader's eyebrow rose with impatience, as the man struggled to find a way to meet his eyes. After a few seconds, he seemed to gain some composure.

"L-lord Vader," The officer stuttered, still obviously flustered, "We have picked up a reading on a Diplomatic Vessel from Alderaan, the _Tantive_ _IV_. We have reason to believe they are associated with the Rebellion."

"What reason?" Lord Vader demanded, growing impatient, "We cannot run the Empire on assumptions, Captain."

Sweat beaded on the man's brow, and he took a deep breath. "We have intercepted a communications relay with a Rebellion associated code."

Vader signaled to Admiral Ozzel, who was standing a few feet away, monitoring some crewmen. He waved off the young officer, and waited for Ozzel to approach.

"Admiral, you are to seize that ship. I want it intact. I will personally oversee the capture of the diplomat as well as a search of the ship." Ozzel bowed his head, "Yes, milord." He waited until Vader began to leave the bridge, and then turned to give his orders.

As he walked through the corridors, Vader began picking through strategies in his mind_._He made a mental note to bring at least two squads of Stormtroopers, the entrance was sure to be guarded by a number of Rebel soldiers. As he made it to his quarters, he entered the security clearance code and walked in. The room was grey, with a large black hyperbaric chamber in the middle. It felt sterile and bland, but the walls seemed to hold a sense of relief. Vader hated the drab atmosphere, but he knew he could at least attempt to relax here. A computer terminal was on one side of the room, and opposite it were 2 medical droids. Vader sighed, disrupting the ventilators rhythmic _hush-shhh_. He made his way over to the droids, and switched them on. The droids clicked once and hummed to life. They floated over to the chamber and paused, waiting for Vader to open it. He took a few steps, and pressed a series of switches. The large pod began to open with a loud _whirr_, and Vader stepped inside and took his seat. He waited for his helmet to be removed, and resisted the urge to rub his eyes, stress and fatigue beginning to take over. _Please let me sleep peacefully,_he whispered in his mind. The comment was to his subconscious, he didn't want to have any visions to obscure the mission at hand. He closed his eyes while letting the droids complete their procedures, and fell into a fitful and dreamless sleep.

"Admiral," the crewman snapped Ozzel out of his silent musings. _This better be important,_Ozzel thought impatiently.

"What is it?" the Admiral's voice was riddled with exasperation.

"We have detected the _Tantive IV_." He replied matter-of-factly, "The ship has just reverted from hyperspace, and is about to enter the orbit of Tatooine."  
Ozzel began to walk towards the hover lifts, urgency increasing his pace.

xxxxxx

Vader awoke in the hyperbaric chamber, and replaced his helmet as an alert sounded. He growled a string of curses, irritated by the unwelcome intrusion. As the pod opened Vader saw that Ozzel had entered and was waiting a few meters away.

"Yes, Admiral?" He unsuccessfully tried to hide his anger. He noticed that Ozzel's thoughts were wandering, something he had always been annoyed by. The tension in his voice grew further. "You have news for me?"

Admiral Ozzel looked startled for a moment as his eyes snapped to Vader, but he quickly regained his smug expression. "Yes, Lord Vader. We have found the ship. It's entering the orbit of Tatooine."

"I want you to capture the ship in our tractor beam, and assemble 2 squadrons of Stormtroopers for entry." Vader's words were cold as ice and he raised a hand in a tight fist; a modest reminder to what the future could hold. He wanted the Admiral to realize that there was no room for error.

"Yes, my lord." Ozzel maintained the same face as he bowed and left the room.

Vader brought down his hand as soon as the steel doors snapped shut and began to scan the admiral's thoughts, which were still not focused on his work. His annoyance began to flare once more_._ Nothing could get through that man's thick, aristocratic skull, as far as he was concerned_._He truly despised Naval Command for placing the impudent man under his command. They had given him little choice, however. Those who met the requirements were either leading other fleets or laying 6 feet under due to his infamous temper. With an irritated huff, Vader leaned back into his chair.

As soon as he reached the bridge, Ozzel began to bark orders at the men. His rage had made it to a boiling point and Vader's soundless threat was fueling the flames. "Assemble 2 squadrons of troopers in the docking bay!" he bellowed at two Corps members, "Prepare the tractor beam!" he continued at another group of men.

They scurried to complete the tasks he had given them, most without as much as a 'Yes, sir!' The admiral paced threateningly, his manner not unlike a vornskr, before looking to a Lieutenant a few paces to his left. He adjusted his stiff cap mindlessly; waiting for the man to finish a conversation.

"Do we have the ship's trajectory?" he asked, only a slight growl left in his voice. The effect of the confrontation on him was beginning to fade; nearly as quickly as the rage had come over him.

]Vader had consistently found flaws in near every mission he had commanded. He despised that ability of his the most of all. If someone gave the Sith Lord the most perfect piece of transparisteel in the galaxy, he would be sure to find a crack. Or make one. He sighed impatiently; the wait of the news was causing his anger to surge yet again.

The Lieutenant walked towards him after finding his answer. "Yes, sir. Approximately 30 minutes until we're in range," he replied, "Our scout ships are monitoring it's movement closely." Ozzel nodded, and the man walked back to his former position.

Seconds after he received his response, the door to the bridge opened once more. Ozzel spun smoothly to face towards it. Darth Vader had entered and before he could react, had already managed to glide to where Ozzel stood. He adjusted his posture and tried to move his discontentment with the Sith from the forefront of his mind.

"I trust you have completed the orders I gave you?" Vader questioned.

Ozzel nodded, his composure quickly regaining. "Yes, Lord Vader."

"Good." Vader replied, and turned to the men in charge of the tractor beam. "How long till we are in range?" The distinct sound of his breathing filled the bridge while he waited for the reply.

"30 minutes, milord."

Vader proceeded to walk to the front viewport, and watch his home planet come into view. A pit formed in his stomach, and he felt consumed by the memories that swirled in his mind.

_"Are you an angel?" I heard myself ask._  
_"What?" Padmé looked confused, and a smile played across her lips. I could see in her eyes that she was flattered._

_"An angel." I repeated, starting to feel a bit embarrassed. "I've heard the deep space pilots talk about them. They live on the moons of Iego, I think. They're the most beautiful creatures in the universe." I looked at her face again, trying to read her feelings._

_She giggled a little, and a brighter smile crossed her face. "You're a funny little boy. How do you know so much?"_

_"I listen to all the traders and star pilots who come through here," I replied, content that she was conversing with me. "I'm a pilot, you know, and someday I'm going to fly away from this place."_

_The bittersweet memory faded, and was quickly replaced by another._

_*Graphic Warning*_

_I kicked down the mud wall, and hooked my lightsaber back on my belt._

_I scanned the interior, and then I saw her. I hurried to untie the fabric bindings, and when she was free I eased her into my arms. "Mom, mom, mom." I tried to comfort her, but I didn't know how. My chest ached, and my eyes burned with rage and sorrow. She let out a small moan, her agony showing in the depths of her beautiful eyes._

_"Ani?" She whispered, and a spark of life returned to her eyes, "Is it you?" A large gash crossed her face, and dried blood was caked around her eyelids and mouth. Her hands were calloused and swollen, and her arms were covered with large bruises._  
_Tears rushed to my eyes, and I struggled to swallow the lump forming in my throat. "I'm here, Mom. You're safe."_

_"Ani? Ani?" Her voice was weak, and she struggled to lift a hand to my face. "Oh, you look so handsome. My son…" A tear fell from my face onto her palm. I kissed her hand, and another fell. She took a desperate breath. "My grown-up son. I'm so proud of you, Ani..." She stopped to breathe again, and I looked in her eyes._

_"I missed you." I whispered to her, and tried to smile. I blinked away more tears, hoping that I would not lose my grip. I leaned my head to the side, like she always had when she quieted my fears._

_Her soft, comforting voice spoke again. "So proud... I missed you so much..." She paused, and a small smile traversed her lips. "Now I am complete."_  
_I sat cradling her in my lap, her brown hair glistening in the fire light. Her ivory skin glowed orange, reminding me of the evenings we watched Tatoo I and II fade into the distance. I rocked her gently, trying to ease her suffering. Her eyes were glassy, her body trembling. She held up a hand. "I love…" Her voice caught, and she gasped for precious air. Her eyes lolled to one side, and she struggled to look back to me._

_Tears ran down my face, and desperation made my chest tighten. "Stay with me, Mom. Everything's…"_

_I stopped, as she opened her mouth again, and took a frail breath. She looked at me, and I could see the resignation in her eyes._  
_"I… love…" The last breath faded, and her eyes became vacant. Her head fell back, and I tried to support it. The campfire became a swirl of orange, crimson and yellow through my tear filled eyes._

_The bitter drops of salt water turned to hatred._

_I gently laid her lifeless body on the dirt floor of the hut, and brushed away the last tears with my tunic sleeve. I grasped my lightsaber, the hilt felt foreign. Before I could react I had ignited the cobalt blade. It sounded dull, as if I was in a trance. My ears felt hot, and my chest burned. I began to stride towards the hut's entrance, knowing full well what would happen next._

_The blade of my lightsaber crackled as the blood of its first victim burned off. At least 15 more Raiders were approaching me now, and I hacked at them. My eyes clouded with torrents of angry tears, and I screamed until my throat grew raw. I did not care who they were, how old they were. They had taken my mother from me. Women approached me, laying their children at my feet. They wanted reprieve, for me to stop. I couldn't. My mother's warm eyes haunted me, and I felt the heat of my blade as I swung it upwards in vengeance. I killed them all, and left a hundred bodies in my wake._

_"Mom." I sobbed as I raced home on the speeder. I repeated the word over and over again, until my voice grew hoarse. My tunic was damp, and my eyes were swollen and painful. As I traveled, the suns slowly began to rise, and the unwelcomed light grew stronger. My thoughts still betrayed me as the homestead appeared in the distance. It was mid-morning now, and Cliegg, Beru, Padmé and Owen came out of the doorway at my approach. I left the speeder, and I held her body wrapped in the rough wool fabric. I brought her inside the hovel, and placed her body on the steel floor. I collapsed to the floor and wept. I heard Padmé come to the door, and call my name._

_"Vader?"_

_*End of graphic warning.*_  
"Milord?" the voice startled him. He spun around to see Captain Piett.

Vader's throat was still tense from his memory, and he swallowed, hoping his voice would not be strained. "Yes, Captain?" the Sith Lord glanced around the room, trying to locate Ozzel. "Where is the Admiral?"

"Ozzel has received an important communiqué from the Tormentor. He gave me his position momentarily, milord." Piett's voice was confident and clear, and his features demonstrated the same.

"What were you going to tell me, Piett?" Vader questioned, his voice sounding agitated. Though the memories were harsh, they also brought a strange peace. Something that was a rare occurrence for him.

"The Rebel ship is caught in our tractor beam, and it will be in the docking bay within 10 minutes, milord."

He signaled for the Captain to continue his duties. Piett bowed quickly and walked over to monitor a group of control panels and the crewmen that were sitting along them.

Vader exited the bridge, and strode down the steel grey corridors. He watched with mild amusement as officers eyes flickered with discomfort as his black-clad 6 foot 7 figure walked past them.

Within minutes he had reached the entrance to the docking bay. A group 40 strong of the elite 501st Legion stood at attention as the door soundlessly slid open to reveal the feared Lord of the Sith.

A klaxon shrieked, alerting the men in the bay that the _Tantive IV_was within 500 feet of the Star Destroyer. Vader stood and watched at the vessel slowly drifted into the hangar, and was set down with a rush of pressurized steam. The Stormtroopers formed into position at the airlock, and Vader stood behind them. Two engineers began to use plasma-torches, cutting into the thick steel door. The metal turned golden yellow, and the Stormtroopers forced the entry. Sparks and an explosion conquered the entrance, and the troops waited to enter the area.

Immediately, red blaster fire filled the main corridor with smoke. As the troopers forced their way forward, Vader followed close behind. The sheer number of troopers caused the remaining Rebels to flee, leaving only a handful for the white-clad soldiers to disperse. The elite fighters secured the area quickly, and Vader walked behind them, his armored, black figure contrasting with the stark white of the halls. They made it to the end of a hallway, where a wounded Rebel lay. Vader picked him up by his throat, and held the man slightly above the ground. A Stormtrooper approached Vader, an air of insistence surrounding him.

"Lord Vader, the plans are not in the main computer." His muffled voice reported. The trooper awaited the Sith's reaction.

Vader gripped the soldier's throat more tightly, and the man struggled to no avail. "Where are those transmissions you intercepted?" The echo of Vader's voice boomed through the passage. The Rebel did not answer, and Vader lifted him further off the ground. His arms tensed with impatience. "What have you done with the plans?" Vader snarled.

The man sputtered, and panted. "We intercepted no transmissions," he breathed, and let out a gasp as Vader's grip tightened. "This is a consular ship," he choked out, his air supply lessening. "We're on a…" he attempted another harsh breath. "Diplomatic mission." The Rebel finished.

Vader's eyes narrowed, he was growing furious with the man. "If this is a diplomatic mission," he questioned threateningly, "then where is the ambassador?" The soldier closed his mouth, and refused to utter another word. His anger reaching the boiling point, Vader intensified his grip again. The Sith Lord's breathing echoed through the corridors, as he choked the life out of the Rebel. A sickening snapping noise marked his end. Vader tossed him aside, and he hit a post and crumpled to the turned to the troopers surrounding him.

"Tear this ship apart until you've found those plans and bring me the Ambassador." He ordered. "I want her alive!" The men dispersed, and Vader walked off to search the control room.

xxxxxx

Vader's comm beeped, and he answered it swiftly. "Commander?"

"We've found her, milord."

"Bring her to the main corridor. I will meet you there" Vader signalled to the intelligence officer with him, and shut off his comm before the trooper could reply.

The door rushed open, and Vader stepped out, just as he saw the prisoner. He knew instantly who she was. _Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan._

"Lord Vader, I should have known. Only you could be so bold. The Imperial Senate will not sit for this, when they hear you've attacked a diplomatic… " Her sarcastic tirade was cut off by the Sith Lord.

Vader's voice began to rise, his ire growing exponentially. "Don't play games with me, Your Highness. You weren't on any mercy mission this time. You passed directly through a restricted system. Several transmissions were beamed to this ship by Rebel spies. I want to know what happened to the plans they sent you."

Her eyes flashed with shock, but she quickly replaced it with mere annoyance. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm a member of the Imperial Senate on a diplomatic mission to Alderaan..."

The lies just proved to make Vader more furious, and he jabbed a gloved finger in her face. "You're a part of the Rebel Alliance and a traitor." He swung his arm and motioned abruptly. "Take her away!"

The troopers walked off with the Princess in tow, and Vader continued down the hall.

The intelligence officer looked to Vader. "Holding her is dangerous. If word of this gets out, it could generate sympathy for the Rebellion in the senate."

"I have traced the Rebel spies to her. Now she is my only link to find their secret base!" Vader replied sternly, annoyed by his request to release her, but intrigued by his political knowledge.

"She'll die before she tells you anything." The young man countered, as they turned a corner.

"Leave that to me." Vader replied tersely. "Send a distress signal and then inform the senate that all aboard were killed." The rest of his sentence was interrupted by another officer.

"Lord Vader, the battle station plans are not aboard this ship. No transmissions were made. An escape pod was jettisoned during the fighting, but no life forms were aboard."

Vader's frustration grew. _Blast! She hid the plans in the escape pod!_Finding the pod was going to prove difficult. The constant sandstorms on his homeworld hid banthas in a day. He stopped his thoughts, and turned to the man. "She must have hidden the plans in the escape pod. Send a detachment down to retrieve them. See to it personally, Commander. There'll be no one to stop us this time." He looked at both of the men and turned to walk back to the Star Destroyer.

xxxxxx

Vader's form created a silhouette in the viewport, contrasting the beige and umber of Tatooine.  
He heard the footfall of boots, and waited to hear the latest information about the escape pod search.  
The mustached man paused beside Vader, and cleared his throat.

"Lord Vader, the pod has been located. We have troops on the ground searching for the contents. A piece of a protocol droid was found."

Vader turned his head. "Thank you, Admiral." _At least he can do something right._ "Prepare the ship, we leave at once for the Death Star. Maximum velocity."

"Yes, Lord Vader."

"And Ozzel, you have the bridge." The Sith Lord left the bridge, his cloak swirling like a cloud of black smoke, and the ventilator echoing through the halls.

He arrived in his quarters, and entered the pod. The arms of a droid released him from the helmet. He tried to avoid his reflection in the shining blanched walls, but his eyes caught. He sighed. His skin was pale, and it was interrupted by a group of red gashes on his scalp. His eyes were sullen, and another group of scars crossed his right cheek. The only memories of the man he once was were his dazzling blue eyes, and a small faded scar near his eyebrow. _I'm a monster._

Anguish filled his heart as memories came to his eyes, but he pushed them away. Only their voices survived.

_"I truly…deeply… love you."_Vader made a fist, trying to force the voice away. Ten more voices began to speak.

_"Anakin! Help me!"_the scream rang in his ears, his eyes burned. "I'm sorry" he whispered.

_"You were my brother, Anakin!"_Obi-Wan's voice infuriated him. He slammed his fist into a nearby droid. He fought an angry roar building in his chest, and closed his eyes. His breathing was harsh and rapid, and the anger sluggishly faded. His eyes drooped, and he fell victim to sleep.

xxxxxx

He was awoken by a sudden alarm and a vibration echoing through the ship. With a quick press of a button, his helmet was replaced. He turned on the communication feed, and called the bridge.

"Lord Vader!" Ozzel seemed surprised, and a crewman behind him looked embarrassed. _I don't even want to know what he did now._ Vader held back a sigh.

"Admiral, an alarm sounded, the ship was shaking a moment ago. I want to know why." He growled.

Ozzel paled visibly. "I asked this man to input a few coordinates," he pointed at a crewman whose face was frozen in fear. "An alarm sounded, but I am not sure as to why. We're doing scans of the hull and ship functions."

"Perhaps you should read up on whom is in charge of what, Admiral, before demanding crewmen complete things. I doubt firing a homing rocket upon our ship would get us to the Death Star much faster." Vader smiled under his mask, finding Ozzel's discomfort quite entertaining.

"I want to be there within 6 hours. Do not disappoint me, Admiral." Vader closed his eyes, and slowed his breathing and fell into a meditative trance.

xxxxxx

_His beautiful Angel, her eyes twinkling in the light. Her carefully styled ringlets hid a playful smile. Footsteps approached, and another woman with deep chocolate, shining hair entered the room. The strange young woman turned to face him._

Vader awoke suddenly, sweat forming on his brow. Only small pieces of the vision remained, but the fear wallowed in his chest. The few faces he remembered lingered behind his closed eyelids._Why would Padmé be with_her_?_Confusion started to rise in his throat, but a beeping halted his contemplation.

"Yes?" he asked, turning on the video-comm.

"We have arrived , Lord Vader." Ozzel's Caridian accent filled the chamber.

"Transfer the princess to the detention center. Maximum security." He replied simply. "Prepare a droid for interrogation as well."

"Yes, my lord." Vader ended the transmission.

xxxxxx

Vader made his way through the passages to Cell Block AA-23. Two intelligence officers followed close behind him, one of them struggling to keep up. They stepped into the hover lift, and Vader waved the door shut.

"Leave the questions to me. You are simply there to take note of her responses."  
"Yes, milord." They replied in unison. The rest of the trip was made in silence.

At the entrance to the cell, Vader signaled the guards to stand at the ready, and for the interrogation droid to be sent in. The door slid open, and the Princess of Alderaan sat upright.  
Fear crossed her eyes as Vader moved aside for the droid, which held a large needle filled with Bavo Six truth serum.

"And, now your Highness, we will discuss the location of your hidden  
Rebel base." The ball shaped droid moved forward, and Vader's voice echoed in the small steel cell.  
As the serum was injected, Leia gave a series of screams. Her arms burned, and every part of the room appeared to be closing in on her. Vader's tall figure became a towering monolith, and the Officer's faces became distorted. The Sith Lord's breathing became deafening, and the Princess collapsed onto the floor.

Vader demanded of her one simple answer. "Where is the Rebel base?"

Instead of a reply, Leia began to thrash about, her eyes taken over with fear and her mouth an ugly grimace. She spoke with a soft voice, like a mother cooing. "Where are we going, Daddy?" she repeated the question over and over again. Vader tried to unlock her mind, to reach for the location of the base. She yelled the question louder, and started to laugh. Her body shook, and her high pitched crows filled the small room. Her eyes snapped to attention, and she stared into Vader's eyes. He face grew serious, and she spoke. "We are going to visit someone very special, princess. She's an old friend of mine."

Vader continued to probe her memories, ignoring her rant of insanity. She stood up and staggered over to one of the officers. She attempted to grasp his hand, but he pulled away with a look of disgust. Leia continued, unfazed. "Daddy, why are we at the MedCenter? There are so many wonderful sights. I want to see the opera, and visit the Senate!"

Vader's attempt to find information failed, as he fell into the memory Leia was enacting.

_The room was large, and the lights were dim. Leia leaned over a glowing capsule, smiling. "She looks just like me Daddy! She's so pretty." She paused and looked at Bail. "Why are her eyes closed?"_  
_Bail looked at Leia and took her hand. "She's in hibernation, dear. She almost died 8 years ago, but they saved her. A man she loved very much tried to kill her."_  
_Leia's lip quivered, and tears began to stream her face. "Why, Daddy?"_  
_She walked forward, and stood on her tiptoes. Bail picked her up by her waist, and held her up to the capsule's transparisteel cover. The memory blurred for a moment, and then it focused on the woman inside. The face inside was soft, and beautiful. Brunette curls framed her sleeping face._

No.

It couldn't be.

She's... dead.

_I killed her._


	3. Discovery

2.  
_Discovery_

xxxxxx

Vader staggered, the memory rapidly fading before his eyes. It was as if a block of ferrocrete had hit him in the chest. He struggled to convince himself that the memory wasn't real.

_It's a protective barrier, she made it up. _

He took a long breath.

_She combined two memories; it was someone else in the chamber. But why did Bail say that someone who loved her tried to kill her? _

Vader pushed the thoughts away momentarily.Regaining some of his composure, he motioned to the officers. The interrogation was finished. As they exited the room, Leia's peals of senseless laughter echoed through the cell block once more. _I need to find Bail, and soon._

As they arrived at the lifts, his comm sounded. Tense, he picked it up. A small hologram of Grand Moff Tarkin appeared. His sullen face looked up, "Lord Vader, I request your presence in the control room, at once."

Vader nodded his head. "I will be there." As the group of three men waited in the lift, his comm sounded again. "What?" he snarled, thoroughly annoyed, just as Ozzel's stout figure came into view.

"My lord, we have intel that the rebel base could be located on Dantooine. It seems abandoned, but there is a small activated generator." Vader raised an eyebrow under his mask, again impressed with Ozzel's work.

"I am going into a meeting at the moment, Admiral. This information matches what I gained from the interrogation." He lied. Vader knew how Tarkin thought, and he had to keep Alderaan intact. _There will be no aggressive negotiations, Wilhuff._ He smiled, knowing he had set the perfect trap.  
As the group entered the room, Vader stood over to Tarkin's side.

"Did you gain any information from the _Princess?" _He sneered over her name.

"Her memory gave me a name, Dantooine. Ozzel has found a base with an active power generator on the planet as well." Vader looked at Tarkin, attempting to read his thoughts. A rather incredulous sentence stood out in his search. _"The girl actually gave in? I figured she would die before betraying the Rebellion." _

"Don't be too surprised, Tarkin. I have my methods."

Tarkin's jaw dropped, but he quickly closed it. He stood speechless for a moment, in both frustration and surprise. "Well." He turned to the pilots. "Send a scouting fleet for Dantooine. Input the coordinates for Alderaan."

Vader swiftly intervened. "I believe that Alderaan would be best kept unharmed, Tarkin. You forget that the primary leaders of the Rebellion reside there."

A glare of ice became directed at Vader. "If the base isn't on Dantooine, we must have an alternate form of persuasion, Lord Vader."

"The Viceroy and Queen have a great deal of knowledge. If they think that Leia gave us information, they will most likely be easier to manipulate." He countered.

Tarkin turned back to the men at the control panel. "Set the coordinates for Dantooine at the moment." With a quick turn, he faced Vader once more. "You had better be right, Lord Vader."

Vader leaned closer, becoming irritated. "I am leaving with my fleet for Alderaan. I shall contact you when we arrive." He started for the hangar bay, and Tarkin turned to the groups of crewmen.

xxxxxx

The passing weeks were fraught with dreams and memories. Vader was constantly on edge, and he tended to take it out on the ship's crew. They all breathed a sigh of relief as the Star Destroyer finally came into orbit over Alderaan. Vader sat in his hyperbaric chamber, and the lack of sleep was finally getting to him. Cursing himself for leaving rest until the last moment, he attempted to power through his fatigue. _If I startle them, they will have little time to resist. I need to get them into a position where they cannot flee, however. _He paused, and an idea quickly formulated. _I will request an audience as one of his friends, perhaps Leia herself? I will only be able to act as her, though. _Somewhat frustrated with her being on the Death Star, he decided it was better that way. _There will be no chance of her escape. They will not see each other, and cannot assist each other. _He stifled a yawn, and his attempts to plan the capture of the Viceroy and the Queen fell silent, as his mind began to wander.

_Padmé stood on the balcony, her beautiful chestnut curls falling perfectly around her face. Her eyes twinkled with optimism and joy, and her stunning coral gown moved softly in the breeze._  
_"Ani, I'm so glad you took me back to Naboo. Our family will love it here." She smiled, and turned to face the lake. The sun glimmered off of the waves, the sound of them breaking against the shore like a symphony. _

_"Anything for you, Angel." His voice sounded distorted, strange. He felt a strange presence, and turned to the side. The Princess of Alderaan. _  
_Leia walked up to Padmé, and hugged her. She looked at Vader, and started to speak. "I l- " _  
_A blinding flash of emerald filled the balcony with a searing heat, and everything disappeared. He felt pain, and endless depths formed in his stomach._

He snapped awake, his brow drenched with cold sweat. The dream had seemed so real, and Vader still felt the lingering despair and pain. The machine replaced his helmet, and the respirator's sound reverberated through the pod once again. Rising, he made his way for the bridge. He hoped that they had prepared his shuttle. He needed to get this information once and for all.

xxxxxx

Bail was in the sitting room, reading a holonovel. The aromatic smell of caf rose into the room, as Breha brought a tray to him.

"Would you like mallow in yours, dear?" Her sing-song voice echoed through the grand and intricate room.

"No, thank you." He looked up from his book as she gave him a cup. He put it up to hers. "Cheers" he grinned.

A protocol droid came into the room. "Milady, your daughter has requested to speak with you. She has sent a video message."

"Alright." She rose quickly, and smoothed her skirt. The last transmission had been abruptly ended, and it had been weeks since the last time they spoke. She hurried down the marble hallway, and entered the room. Sitting down, she went to check the messages. _I hope she is alright, I miss her. I'm glad she's not with Darth Vader. Her ship was still not located by the scouts, however. _She anxiously scanned the new messages. _Mothma, Shilya Shessaun. No Leia… _

The door slammed shut. She turned, and was face to face with none other than the Dark Lord of the Sith himself. She let out a blood-curdling scream, and Vader took her arm and gave her to two waiting troopers. She screamed again, and began to thrash.

"Bail! Bail! Help me!" A sharp sting in her neck startled her. She looked, and a man pulled a syringe back. She heard heavy steps run to the door, and then she collapsed, unconscious.

Bail tried the door. _Locked. _"Breha?" He kicked the door. Once. Twice. It held fast. _Blast! I need to help her! _Catching sight of a pedestal nearby, he grabbed it and used it as a battering ram. The door splintered, and opened violently. "Breha?" he repeated, his tone fraught with concern. A gloved hand covered his eyes, and he swung blindly. His arms were stopped by rough hands, and his wrists were locked in cool metal. _Binders._ The harsh noise of a respirator filled the room. _Oh Maker no! Not… _A stab of pain ran up his neck, and he felt nothing more.

xxxxxx

The Viceroy awoke in a holding cell. He attempted to run for the door, but his legs gave out. Crawling back to the small metal bed, he lay down and gazed at the ceiling.  
In a cell a few blocks away, Breha sat in the corner. Her body wracked with sobs. _Bail…Leia…_ She slammed her fists into the wall, and the muffled sound resounded through the halls. She turned into the wall, and tried to calm herself.  
They both settled in for the wait.

xxxxxx

The cell door slid open, and Vader entered. Bail eyed the Sith Lord, his glare not unlike the steel walls surrounding him.

"Vader. You think you have the right to take me and my wife hostage? We are diplomats, not enemies of the Empire." Crimson began to fill Bail's face, and his lips pursed.

"It would be wise not to anger me, Viceroy. I shall only demand the answer to two questions. If you give me what I want, you may be free to go." Vader's tone evolved from severe to mere tension. Bail was surprised but weary; he knew what Vader was capable of.

"It depends on the question." His eyes narrowed further.

"First, I want to know if you have had access to the Death Star plans." The room grew quiet, only Vader's mechanical breathing breaching the silence. "I'm waiting." Vader's voice took a mocking tone.

"I want both questions front and center." Bail was pushing his luck, and he knew it. "I will answer them as soon as I have both."  
Underneath his mask, Vader scowled at Bail. He was losing his patience, and it would not turn out well for the Viceroy. The Sith spoke, his speech peppered with cynicism. "As you wish, your Highness. The second question, I am sure you will not answer as willingly. Which MedCenter is my wife being held in?"

The Viceroy's eyes instantly widened, the shock of the question resonating through his brown irises. "I-I, I-" A bead of sweat rolled down his face, and he attempted to swipe it away. Silver and black swirled before his eyes, as astonishment dazed him. He lost all resolve. He looked away from Vader's menacing figure, and looked up at the ceiling. After a few moments, he finally managed to speak. "How did you know?"

"Your daughter. We captured her in restricted airspace; she is on board the Death Star." Bail's face paled, he looked nauseous.

"You didn't harm her, did you? She's still alive?" He spoke quickly, his words almost indiscernible.

"She's safe. I ordered them to guard her under maximum security, no execution, no interrogations." Vader responded simply. "She will continue to be safe, as well as you and your wife, if you answer my questions."

"I need time. Please." He was bowing his head, and essentially begging. "Please, let my wife go. She has no involvement in the Rebellion. She is just the peaceful leader of Alderaan, and my loving wife. Nothing else."

Vader did not respond. If he let his wife go, the answers most likely would come soon after the assurance she was safe. The Viceroy seemed to have little resolve. However, there was the chance he would still not receive the information he craved. If he did not let her go, the chance that he would stay silent increased.

"I will let her go, but I cannot do the same for you as well. You are a now a known member of the Rebellion, and we had suspicions before." Bail looked defeated, but a small spark of gratefulness showed in his eyes. The Sith Lord exited the room, and turned on his comm.

"Ozzel, arrange a shuttle for the planet's surface. I am returning Queen Breha to Alderaan. Delay it 60 minutes, however, once she is on board. Send Piett up to escort her immediately, and alert him of the situation. If I do not get the answers I need, she will be returning to the Cell Bay." He switched off his comm, and turned to two guards.

"Piett will be up shortly to escort her Highness to a shuttle. You are to give them no trouble." They nodded in unison.

"Yes, Lord Vader."

Vader turned back to the cell, and entered cautiously. He was not deeming Bail trustworthy at the moment. "Your wife is being escorted down to the shuttle. You will give me my answers, Viceroy."

He sighed, and Vader felt his extreme tension. "I know that the plans were stolen, however they were never sent to me. I can bet that Leia planned on sending them to me, they were important for the Rebellion's cause." He sighed once more, and looked downward.

Stepping closer, Vader voiced his annoyance. "You have one more question to answer, Your Highness." Bail sighed again, and looked away. He began to hum, and turned to face the wall.

"I'm growing tired of your impudence. Answer my question." He was in Bail's face, his fury threatening to explode. "I will ask you one last time, Viceroy," he snarled "Where is she?"

Bail looked up slightly, fear in his eyes. This time, he had a great deal of tenacity.

_"Where is my wife?_" He boomed, and Bail winced.

Vader raised his hand in a tight fist. The Viceroy began to sputter, and he clutched for his throat.

"Please," his voice was hoarse, breathless. "Give… me…" he took another ragged breath. "Clemency!"

"You did not answer my questions. Your wife will be sent to the Death Star, and will stay with your daughter. The Emperor will deal with them as he sees fit." Vader replied acerbically.

"Im-imperial Center… the Galactic…" he struggled for another breath, "Senate med cent…" His head fell to one side.

Vader released him, and he fell unconscious onto the cold steel ground. He stepped over his body, and opened the door. He looked at the guard. "Get a medical droid."

"Ozzel," he snapped into the comm. He waited, too long. A roar escaped his throat. "Admiral!"

The answer came quickly. "Yes, Lord Vader?"

"Set a course for Coruscant, at once. I want to be there in 2 days."

xxxxxx

Piett was making his way down the hall when he saw the figure of Vader storming down the hall. He barely had time to duck to the side. _Maker help us all, he's in a mood._  
He continued down the hall, and turned into the maximum security wing. _Cell 123, 124, 125…126. _He greeted the guard, and entered the cell.

"Your Highness, I am your escort, Captain Piett." He bowed. She stood, her face streaked with tears.

"Where are we going?" She looked lost, and spoke in a flat tone.

"Lord Vader has arranged a shuttle for your return to Alderaan, milady." He tried to make his eyes friendlier, trying to break her obvious tension.

"What about Bail?" A slight edge of ferocity glanced off her face.

"He will be staying; Lord Vader has decided to hold further conference with him."

"Oh." She hid the anger once again, but her eyes still smoldered.

Piett motioned with his hand, a gesture for her to go ahead. She moved swiftly, and exited into the hall.  
An audible crash sounded from outside, and before he could react a blaster fired. He fell forward in excruciating pain, and crumpled to the floor.

xxxxxx

Breha ran. The blaster at her side, she made it to the end of the hall. "Bail?" she screamed. A medi-droid floated from a cell to her right, 5 meters away. She followed it, hoping it would lead her to her husband.

It did. She blasted her way into the room, and the Viceroy stood. He lurched forward, and Breha caught him.

"Breha, I can't go. It would put you in danger. Please, just leave. Leia will be fine, I promise. Vader will find her true identity."

The Queen shook her head violently, noticing the angry red streaks on his neck. "No. I'm not leaving without you."  
She held him up, and they walked to the hover-lift. "Bail, do you have any idea how to get to the hangar bay?" He nodded slowly, but his head still spun. He pressed a few buttons, and they began to move.

"Turn left when we exit, walk calmly. We do not want to arise suspicion." He wiped a newly sprouted tear from Breha's eye. "It'll be fine."

Just as they exited the lift, an alarm began to blare. "Walk calmly, dear. We are royalty, not prisoners."

They arrived within a hall length from the hangar. Bail turned around suddenly, hearing the rhythmic noise of plasteel on permacrete.

"Stormtroopers. Breha, run." Her eyes darted to where he was looking, then back to him. She shook her head.

"Not without you, I lost Leia, I won't lose you!" Her voice was verging on hysteria.

"Go, now." He looked at her, and smiled. "Please."

The troopers turned the corner. The commander spotted them, and barked an order. "Set blasters to stun!"

Bail blocked Breha. "I love you." he mouthed. A blue blast came at him, and the scene moved in slow motion. He fell, and his eyes closed. She ran into the bay, and entered a shuttle. The group of Stormtroopers fired at the shuttle, but their blasts deflected harmlessly. She exited into space, and headed for Alderaan.  
She would be long gone by the time they arrived on the planet to search for her.

xxxxxx

Vader made his way to the detention center, his fury building greater by the second.

There were 3 guards and a sentry killed, and his second best officer seriously wounded. He observed irately as a medi-droid and a doctor floated Piett's med-capsule past him.

"Milord, the Viceroy is back in a cell. We have assigned 4 guards, as well as an extra sentry." An officer notified him.

"Good. Inform him he will be transferred to a more secure cell on Coruscant." Vader smirked. He would not bother the Empire any longer. They only had to worry about the Queen.

xxxxxx

Ozzel bowed quickly as Lord Vader entered the bridge. "Lord Vader, we will arrive in approximately 4 hours. We are making the reversion from hyperspeed at the moment."

"Thank you, Admiral." He turned to watch the radar screen, and then took his usual place in front of the viewport. The last 2 days had been extremely uneventful. Other than completing reports for the rest of High Command, he had not had much to do except think about finding his wife. His memories of her seemed to be getting clearer the closer they got to Coruscant. Her voice, her perfume, everything he had tried to forget came back to him, and the guilt he had for killing her began to fade.  
He knew that he would find her, simply because he needed to find her.

Ozzel walked up and stood nearby. "My lord, the Emperor has left you a message. He requests an audience with you at once."

Vader started for the Comm room, and kneeled on the pad at once. A holo image of Palpatine appeared, his face shrouded by a cloak.

"My friend. I trust that your mission to Alderaan was a success?" His ever-mocking tone spurred fury in Vader's chest.

"We captured Bail Organa, he was a conspirator for the Rebellion, my master. He will be sent to a facility on Coruscant. We released his wife, as she had no importance in its cause. " Vader replied.

"Good… I want you to make a report to the Senate, and watch the Queen. I am not sure she is innocent, Vader, and you should be wary." His figure slowly disappeared, and he pushed himself up from the kneel. The meeting went well; Palpatine had not shown his true colors.

It seemed he was blissfully unaware of Vader's future plans.

As he entered the bridge once more, he turned to the Admiral. "Prepare my shuttle for a trip to the surface. I have a personal matter I must attend to. I will be in the hangar bay in 30 minutes."

"Yes, Lord Vader." Ozzel spoke into his comm, and gave the command.

Vader disappeared into the Star Destroyers network of corridors, and returned to his quarters. He played the final wedding holo that he had. As he watched the figures move, he slipped into remembrance.

_She stepped out onto the balcony, wearing a stunning lace gown. A veil dotted with semi-precious stones cascaded down her back, and she smiled at me. She walked a few steps, until she stood across from me. The sunlight made her dress glitter, and her warm eyes glowed a golden brown. I smiled, trying to hide my anxiety. She was so beautiful, and my heart almost skipped a beat when her eyes met mine. I barely heard our vows, I felt like I was dreaming. "I do."_

_This was it; the woman that I love is finally going to be my wife. _

_"You may now kiss your bride." She grasped my hands, and I pulled her close. We kissed, it was deep, passionate. I felt electrified, and the anxiety faded. As she pulled away, she smiled. We turned to the lake, our fingers still intertwined. Machine and goddess, united as one. _

_"I love you, Ani." _

_"I love you, my Angel. I will love you forever." _

xxxxxx

Vader's shuttle landed on the platform, and he strode down the ramp. It was near night, and the gleam of the landing strip lights changed him into a god of the night. He entered the Med-Center, and a group of his alabaster soldiers followed. Vader walked quickly, the anticipation of seeing his Angel almost too much to bear. Finally, they turned into a long hall.

The sound of marching filled the narrow corridor, and eventually the white-clad troopers came to a large steel door about 12 feet tall. Pasted in the middle was a large yellow sign with bold, black letters reading "_Warning! Authorized Personnel Only." _At the head of the group, a towering figure clad in armor black as night. He moved to the front of the group, and inspected the security system. A series of beeps followed as he entered a code. The access light flashed red, and then changed to green. "Access Granted," came the mechanical reply. The tall doors slid open with a loud _shush._ Capsules with patients within them lined the large room. They glowed a faint blue, and it resulted in an effect of twilight. The medical droids stopped their work, and one of them motioned with his appendages. A doctor rushed to the group, who had now entered the room.

"Lord Vader… can I help you?" She asked,her nervousness evident. She glanced at the 5 Stormtroopers surrounding them. "I-I have all the records for the center right here…" She stammered as she pointed to a large terminal.

He stepped forward once more, and signaled for the Stormtroopers to stand down.

"I wish to see a patient immediately. Padmé Amidala."


	4. Reunited

_A/N: Apologies for the later than normal update. _ _My attention span was a little wonky for this chapter. I've had a great deal of things to do. If something isn't right, just let me know and I will fix it! _

Chapter 3:

Reunited

"Blast it, Chewie! The hydrospanner, not the wrench!" Han Solo rolled his eyes and threw the wrench back to the wookiee.

Chewbacca let out a series of growls, while searching through a toolbox.

"Whaddya mean there's no hydrospanner? We had one ten minutes ago, we gotta have one now." The wookiee shrugged and dug through another toolbox. He looked at the Corellian, and shook his head. Han sighed. "Well we aren't going to get anywhere without one, are we?"

Chewie rolled his eyes, ignoring the sarcastic remark. He walked over to the box near Han, and dug through it. After a short moment, he pulled out the hydrospanner. He gave it to Han with a high pitched trill.

"Real funny, fur ball. Now keep tabs on the tools will ya?" He turned back to the gaping hole in the wall, and adjusted a few nuts. He rushed to tighten a coolant valve as it began to leak. The leak smoked, and a huge spark flew at his face. He backpedalled out of the hole, smacking his head. Turning to Chewbacca, he wiped his soot covered eyes. The wookiee snickered, and looked away.

"Yeah, hilarious. Just get me a rag, or I'll _give_ you something to laugh about." Chewbacca tossed the rag, and Han cleaned away the grime. He turned back to the wall, and stuffed the cloth in a pocket. He finished tightening the coolant tube, and adjusted a few more assorted mechanics. "Chewie, could you hand me the plasma-torch?" He obliged, and passed it to Han. "Thanks buddy."

After soldering two joints together, he emerged from the wall again. He breathed, his brow moist with perspiration. "That should do it. Chewie, try the hyperspace coordinates now." The wookiee left the room, and Han wiped off his coolant covered hands. Footsteps came from behind him, and he turned to see one of the passengers.

"Hey Han," the blond boy brushed a piece hair out of his azure eyes. "How's the repair going?"

"It should be done soon, Luke. Chewie's testing it now. How's the old man?"

"Same as always. He's meditating now." Luke looked down at his worn shoes. "I can't help but feel this is going to be some adventure I'm getting into."

"Huh." Han leaned on a steel arch. The ship lurched, and he stumbled backwards. As it evened out, a warm hum filled the corridor. He smiled, and turned to Luke. "Hyper drive's fixed, kid. Two days from now we'll be on…" He paused melodramatically, "beautiful Alderaan." Han motioned a starburst with his hand. He stopped, and looked at the blond young man. "I have a bad feeling about this, just so you know."

Luke smirked, and shook his head. "I'll tell Ben. See you later, Han." He shook his hair once more, and turned for the living quarters.

Han entered the cockpit, and sat down. "I hope he's wrong, Chewie. I've had enough adventure for my lifetime." Chewbacca rumbled an agreement, and they focused on their destination.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The doctor was stunned. What would the infamous Darth Vader want with a Senator who was in suspended animation?

"Um… She's- She's…" His towering figure made it difficult to concentrate. She closed her eyes and tried again. No sound came, so she pointed to the far wall.

Vader motioned for the Stormtroopers to wait, and he paced quickly to the capsule.

When he saw her face, he fell to his knees. He placed a black-encased palm upon the transparisteel, and the room seemed to drop from under him.

"Angel…my dear, beautiful angel…" His throat was tight, and tears brimmed over his eyes. "I've missed you…" He heard the door open, and the Stormtroopers left, leaving him in his moment.

He sat for what seemed like an eternity, watching her motionless body in its hibernation. His ventilator was the sole noise in the large, sterile room. The only exception being that every so often he would whisper her name, as softly as mist. He stayed there for a while longer, taking in her every feature.

He stood abruptly, and looked to the doctor.

"When can she be awakened?" He still spoke quietly, and the doctor could see humanity. That he loved, and was not a monster of hatred and evil. She turned to the info-terminal, and read over some notes.

"She has been in stasis for almost 20 years, and a cure has been found for her condition." Her eyes scanned the monitor again, before turning to the Sith. "The awakening process will be the most difficult. She will probably be blind for a period; and weak as well. After she recovers from hibernation sickness, we can give her surgery and IV medication to stabilize her condition."

"What is her condition, Doctor?" There was tension in his voice, as he tried to hide the guilt and pain he felt.

"A severely enlarged heart, most likely from excessive stress and lack of oxygen. This lead to heart failure. There is also some fluid buildup in the protective layer of the heart. This was caused by trauma, as well as the heart failure later on."

Vader was stunned. He had injured his Angel, to the point where she would have died. _I could have killed her. I thought I did. _He felt faint, and swayed. The doctor pushed a chair behind him, and he fell into it. The emotions were overpowering. _How could I have done such a thing? _

With his emotional state, came memories.

_The path ahead was dark, except for moonlight, and Vader walked swiftly to the mausoleum. He entered the crypt, slowly. The hallways were grand, the stained glass windows of Naboo's history lit by plasma lamps. Floral arrangements in red and green attempted to lighten the cold grey corridors. He made it to a large door, with a plaque reading a few sentences. _

"_Our Beloved Queen and Senator,_

_Loved by many, and who loved all. _

_Forever rest in peace."_

_He opened the large black door, and entered the tomb. Kneeling before the marble statue of his beloved, he lay down a bouquet of Nubian orange blossoms, Naboo Rominarias, and a white and red rose. Symbols of eternal love, of unity. He stood once more, trying to lock away the memory of the room. _

"_Goodbye, my Angel." He whispered, and turned away._

_He left, back into the halls, and then into the blackness of the night. _

As he returned from the memory, he saw the physician checking on the other patients throughout the room. He stood, and she came over.

"Would you like to wake her, Lord Vader?" She looked at him, with warmness in her eyes

"Yes." He responded. The doctor did not seem to think he was intimidating any longer. He tried to search her mind, hoping he could find the cause for her trust. _Love._ That was the answer. He loved Padmé, and she knew.

The doctor sat by the info-terminal, typed a few notes, then looked at Vader. "May I also ask your relation to her?"

Vader sighed, even though the doctor knew how he felt, he did not want to show any more emotional weakness. "She is my wife."

A slight wave of surprise flitted through the doctor's mind, but she hid it well. After inputting some more data on the terminal, she went over to Padmé's capsule. She activated a mechanism, and the bed rose on repulsor-lifts. She turned to Vader. "We have to awaken her in a small room. Certain procedures are required, so we cannot allow any other people into the room. Once she shows signs of consciousness, however, I can bring you to see her."

Vader nodded, his thoughts echoing in his mind. _She won't recognize me with my mask… My voice is distorted. But she will be blind from the hibernation. Perhaps I can take my helmet off, for a few moments. _He looked at the doctor, "Is she to be awakened in a hyperbaric room?"

The doctor nodded. "The oxygen concentration will help reanimate her."

"I would like to remove my helmet when I am with her." He stated.

"That would be fine. I see no reason why not." She was nervous to see his injuries; no one knew anything about the man behind the mask. She summoned a medical droid, and they moved the pod to a smaller hallway. "I will call you in when she is awakened."

Vader simply nodded, and watched his wife's capsule fade down the hall.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Hey kid, get up here, will ya?" Han was yelling from the cockpit, as the Alderaanian air patrol was asking for a code transmission.

The gritty voice came over the comm system again. "Alderaan air patrol to unidentified YT-1300 light freighter. You have entered restricted airspace. Please transmit an approved landing code, as well as the reason for your visit."

Han put his head in his hands, knowing that even Luke didn't have a code. "Alderaan air patrol, this is Han Solo, captain of the Millennium Falcon, YT-1300 freighter. I am here with Luke Skywalker and Ben Kenobi who must speak with the Queen immediately. They have information about her daughter."

"Hang on a moment, Sir. We are transmitting the names to the Queen." The comm clicked off for a moment. A few minutes later, the voice spoke again. "The Queen is off-planet at the moment." Han sighed. _Great, now we came this way for no reason. _He piped up again. "But she will hold audience with you on the moon Yavin IV. I am transmitting the coordinates. Under no circumstance allow the Empire to get a hold of them, sir."

Han sighed again, relieved. "Thank you." He turned to Chewbacca, "Set the coordinates, Chewie."

Chewbacca growled, and pushed a series of switches and buttons.

Han smiled. "Thanks, buddy."

Luke arrived in the room, and glided to a stop. "What?"

"Never mind, Luke. We have a change of course, to the moon Yavin IV"

His cerulean eyes were vacant with confusion for a split second, and then he looked at Han. "Why?"

"The Queen has been relocated. I have a feeling it has to do with the Empire." He leaned forward. "I also have a really bad feeling about _this._"

Luke closed his eyes for a moment, and then looked back to Han. "It'll be fine. I know."

Han rolled his eyes and leaned back. "Don't tell me the Force told you that."

He shrugged his shoulders. "I guess it did. The darkness is pretty far away, but we'll be much safer near Yavin." With a glance into the hall, he waved to Han. "I need to go back to my training."

Before Han could make another comment, Luke had run down the corridor. Chewbacca turned to Han, with a long string of chirps and growls.

"Don't worry; the kid's got some kind of insight. I'm sure he'll be right."

Chewie responded with another vocalization.

"No, I don't believe in the "Force". He's probably just a little… psychic."

The wookiee shook his head at Han's and turned back to the navigation computer. Han sat resting his head on his hand, contemplating the recent events.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

My body felt as if I was on fire, every limb hotter than the sun. I heaved for air, and felt lightheaded.

"Padmé? Can you hear me?" The voice was distant, and unfamiliar. I tried to nod, but my muscles would not oblige. I began to hear sounds, droids moving about, the soft _woosh_ of my heartbeat.

"Padmé, I'm your physician, Dr. Natalya Zhel. You have been in stasis for the past 19 years, and we are attempting to awaken you. Can you move any part of your body?"

I tried again to move my head, but nothing happened. I felt a prick on my fingertips. The small dot of pain erupted back into a wildfire. I wanted to scream, to thrash, anything. My chest burned, and the pricks came again, bringing a torrent of agony.

I couldn't breathe, my heart began to race. I tried to gasp, to gain precious air. Nothing.

Panic washed over me, as I heard a monitor sing one flat note.

I slipped back into darkness. Painless, thoughtless, I disappeared once more.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The Sith Lord was pacing in the waiting area, growing frustrated. _I felt her presence, she was there. And then she disappeared. Why? I know she's alive, perhaps even conscious!_ He stopped at a small window, and watched the air traffic speed by. After a few minutes, he turned to walking back and forth. The room was plain, with the red chairs and windows an attempt to lighten up the atmosphere. A plant with small white blossoms sat in the corner, and Vader recognized it as an Everlily. He stopped examining the room as footsteps approached.

"Lord Vader." Dr. Zhel appeared from the room. He stopped pacing, his cloak drifting to the ground like volcanic ash. "Your wife has gone into cardiac arrest, and she needs emergency surgery."

Vader staggered, and felt as if a force pike had gone through his chest. "Will she be alright? Will she live?"

The doctor looked torn. "Her condition is more severe than we thought, but she should recover. She has a very strong will. There still is the chance she will die, but it is very insignificant. They are prepping her for surgery as we speak."

Vader nodded, and turned to the window. Dr. Zhel left the room, and proceeded towards the operating room. As soon as her footsteps faded, he sat down into a chair, and fell into meditation.

_I stood overlooking the magma falls, the heat tortuous and nearly unbearable. A lone tear rolled down my face, a memory of the man I once was, of my mother, all the ones I'd murdered. A gleaming Naboo skiff landed on a platform. I felt her presence; I knew it was my Angel. I began to run for her ship, and when she saw my figure approaching, Padmé ran towards me. Her face was creased with worry._

_I was mere feet from her. "__Padmé, I saw your ship . . .__ " She continued to run until she reached my embrace. She was distraught, and her eyes were moist with tears. __I attempted to comfort her, "What are you doing out here?"__ Something had gone wrong on Coruscant; otherwise she would not have ignored my request for her to stay behind.___

Her breathing was irregular, heavy. She looked at me, fear rising in her deep brown eyes. "I was so worried about you. Obi-Wan told me terrible things."__

"What things?"_ The mention of Obi-Wan's name infuriated me, and I knew he had told her of my actions.___

"He said you have turned to the dark side . . . that you killed younglings._" Her pitch rose an octave, her mind struggling to erase the thought of me killing innocent beings. My anger rose larger in my chest, and I looked down, hiding my regret-filled eyes from her. ___

I looked back to her, and made an attempt to hide my throat burning with fury. My voice was calm, reassuring. "Obi-Wan is trying to turn you against me._"___

She shook her head, not knowing who to believe. Her voice became as soft as mine. "He cares about us."

"_Us?" A torrent of rage rose over my composure, and the word tasted bitter._

She looked uneasy, and I knew she didn't want to say anything. She finally spoke the words that plagued her. "He knows . . . He wants to help you." She looked into my eyes, their umber irises burning with confusion and desperation. "Anakin, all I want is your love."__

I wanted to take the offer, to have the guarantee of her love. My mind went immediately back to the dreams, and I knew I couldn't save her if I gave in. "Love won't save you, Padmé. Only my new powers can do that._"___

She searched my crystal blue eyes, for a hint to the puzzle I had become. I felt her panic rise into my own chest. "At what cost? You are a good person. Don't do this."_ She continued to shake her head in disbelief, and her eyes still begged me to take her offer.___

"I won't lose you the way I lost my mother. I've become more powerful than any Jedi has ever dreamed of and I've done it for you. To protect you."_ Seriousness took over my features, and I fought away the memory of my mother. I would not lose my Angel; she was all I had left. ___

The worry broke into her voice. "Come away with me. Help me raise our child. Leave everything else behind while we still can."__

"Don't you see? We don't have to run away anymore. I have brought peace to the Republic. I am more powerful than the Chancellor. I can overthrow him, and together you and I can rule the galaxy. Make things the way we want them to be."_ She shook her head frantically, trying to decipher what I had just said. I had betrayed her; I knew that I was no longer the Anakin she loved. Using the Force I tried to wordlessly plead with her. ___

She continued to look at me incredulously, and I could see in her face she was hurt, that she knew now Obi-Wan had been telling her the truth. "I don't believe what I'm hearing . . . Obi-Wan was right. You've changed."_ The last words stung, as if a hot ember had jumped through my heart. My endless anger for Obi-Wan continued to grow, he had betrayed me. He had failed me. ___

I looked into her beautiful face, struggling to keep my temper down. "I don't want to hear any more about Obi-Wan. The Jedi turned against me. Don't you turn against me."__

Her voice was nearly hysterical, and she struggled against tears. "I don't know you anymore. Anakin, you're breaking my heart… You are going down a path I_can't follow.__ " _

_Then I sensed him. Obi-Wan.__ He was here. My tone was strained, still battling the rising emotions. "Because of Obi-Wan?"___

She took a step forward, and continued. "Because of what you've done . . . what you plan to do. Stop, stop now. Come back! I love you._" Her breaths were heaving, tears had filled her eyes. I looked behind her, feeling my old master's presence even more clearly. A yell rose out of my chest. ___

"Liar!_"___

She looked behind her, and spotted Obi-Wan on the ramp from the ship. A wave of fear filled the bond we shared. "No!"_ Her breath stuck, and I felt another surge of panic. ___

My anger overpowered her emotions. I knew what Obi-Wan had come here to do. "You're with him. You brought him here to kill me!"_ I could not believe my own Angel would turn against me. She would kill me just to bring peace to a fallen Republic. _

_Her voice was frantic. "NO! Anakin, I swear ... I ...__" She looked desperately to both sides, terror filling her mind. Her brown eyes pleaded with me. My anger swelled like an enormous wave, and I looked at her, my eyes flashing with crimson and yellow. I reached a hand up to her, the dark side of the Force overpowering my love for her. __She began to choke, her hands reaching to her throat._

"Let her go, Anakin."_ Obi-Wan was slowly walking down the ship's boarding ramp, his tone commanding me to release the darkness, to spare my Angel. Her eyes started to become vacant, and she said my name once more._

"Let her go!"_ Obi-Wan was on the platform now, and he enunciated every word, struggling to keep his own disappointment and anger at bay. I did not release her from my grip._

_I felt her life fading, my anger was too great. Her eyes closed, and she began to disappear from the Force. I heard her attempts to breathe cease, and her fragile throat collapsed beneath my grip. I released her, and she fell lifeless to the ground. My heart began to pound. Words in my throat caught, and I could only manage one. "No… no…" I ran over to where she lay, I tried to feel for a beat of her heart. There was nothing, only silence. Her presence faded from the Force, becoming smaller until it was gone. I felt cold, her comforting warmness gone from around me. I sat beside her body, and caressed her cheek. Staring into her lifeless eyes, I broke down. Salt water clouded my vision, and ran tracks through the ash on my face. I held her to my chest, mourning the beautiful Angel I lost. Without a second thought, I took my lightsaber, the grip cold and unforgiving, and the blade shot up, illuminating her in a beautiful sapphire light. Obi-Wan dove for me, reading my thoughts. Before he could stop me, I drove the ocean blade into my own heart, and fell to the side peacefully with my Angel within my embrace._

Vader awoke with a start, and took a minute to regain his composure. He loathed when the Force showed him visions of what could have been, for it made him feel remorseful and weak. Standing, he began to pace once more. Patience was never something he had, even less so now. An edge of anxiety crept into his mind. _What if she dies? Force, please save her. _He had no reason why the Force would listen to his request. He had brought it into darkness, and placed most of the known galaxy into oppression. He had _helped _Palpatine. He thought back to his vision. No. That was who he was now. He was no longer Anakin, no longer the Jedi he had been. He would not be able to change his path.

"Together we can rule the galaxy. Make things the way we want them to be!" His voice echoed, and his pace quickened. _Will she take my offer now? Will she see that the galaxy can be stronger with her at its head? Will she become Empress by my side?_

Vader tried to answer the questions, but it was near impossible. He could only attempt to see her future, and he admitted to himself that, for once, he was afraid. He desperately wanted his Angel by his side, but she wanted democracy. She hated the darkness; she hated what he had become.

"_I don't know you anymore" _The words chilled him, and he stopped pacing. He closed his eyes, and tried to focus on the Force. He could feel her, the energy weak but existent. A small smile of relief filled his face. Focusing even more intently, he spoke a few words.

"_I love you, Angel." _

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After 12 grueling hours, Dr. Zhel headed to the information terminal. The operation had been a success, and Padmé was still recovering from the sedative. After recording the outcome of the surgery, she left for the waiting area. When she arrived in the room, it was empty. She glanced around the nearby rooms, but there was no sign of Lord Vader. She walked through the corridors, looking for him. Nothing. Knowing that she had to check on Padmé as well as other patients, she gave up.

As she walked back past the waiting room once more, she looked again. She saw his tall figure stop walking and look up. She was a little un-nerved by his sudden appearance, and stopped abruptly.

His deep voice echoed through the room. "Is she alright?" His figure stood tense, waiting for a reply.

Natalya nodded. "Yes, Lord Vader. She's recovering at the moment. She needs bacta injections for the next few days, as well as other medication. She will be fine though." He visibly relaxed, and the doctor continued. "You may see her in 3 hours; however she will not be able to be awakened for a day." Vader nodded, his relief growing by the minute. "I will have a nurse bring you into the room when we are ready."

"Thank you, Doctor…" He realized he did not know her name. He tried to hide his pause by turning away. Vader had already shown a great deal of weakness, and it made him scorn himself.

"Zhel." She finished. He heard her footsteps walk away, and the room was empty once more. He turned his comm on, deciding that he could not delay a prolonged stay on Coruscant.

"Ozzel." He regained his intimidating tone.

The Admiral picked up. "Yes, my lord?"

"I will be delayed for another few days. It is unavoidable. Should the Emperor attempt to make contact, tell him that I am undergoing treatment at a medical center." He waited for Ozzel's reply.

"Yes, Lord Vader." He bowed quickly, and Vader shut off the comm. Hopefully his excuse would hold, the Emperor's suspicion was not something the Sith Lord needed.

He began to pace once more, hoping that the hours would pass quickly.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Vader walked quickly behind the doctor, anxious to see his wife once more. Dr. Zhel stopped at the door.

"I'm going to warn you, she is in a fairly fragile state. She needs extra oxygen, as well as intravenous medication. The bacta has sped up her healing, but it is not enough yet." She turned back to the door, and scanned a small device. The door slid open, and they entered an air lock. He could see his wife, her brown curls splayed out on the pillow, and her soft and beautiful features peaceful in sleep. The doctor opened the second door, and they entered the small room. It was white and grey, the walls plain with the exception of a few monitors. A small window overlooked the sprawling city. In the distance, the remains of the Jedi Temple stood, its large pillars stood as a memorial to the past. Vader turned, trying to avoid the past once more.

Padmé's fragile frame lay in a small hoverbed; IV's weaving around her arms. Dr. Zhek turned to read a monitor, and Vader used the Force to pull a chair to her bedside. He sat, and attempted to grasp her pale hand without disrupting the tubes. He moved his gloved thumb in a circle, as he used to when she was distraught. He grew disappointed with the fact that he could no longer feel her satin skin, and it was just another thing he had lost. The negative memories threatened the moment, and he struggled to push them away.

_I am here now. I can see my Angel, and hold her hand once more. Nothing else matters, she is with me again. _

He looked at her face, and noticed a small tear escape her closed lids. He moved his other hand to gently brush it away. Her body was not yet conscious; he could not decipher her emotions. He tried to send her another message through the Force. _Angel, don't be afraid. I am here, and you are safe. We have been united once more._

Vader continued to sit near her, drinking in her presence. There had barely been a day when he had not hated himself for killing her, for destroying the one true love he had. It seemed surreal, that he would finally have her embrace once more. That he could have someone to call his Angel. As he went through memories in his mind, the light outside began to fade, and the stars took over the sky.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The fire began again. My throat burned with an agonizing thirst, my fingers felt as if they were smoldering. I felt my legs begin to throb, and the numbness began to recede. I heard a voice, distant yet familiar. My ears were ringing, and my eyes fluttered. I felt dizzy, and my forehead broke out in a cold sweat.

A tender touch wiped away the beads of sweat before they rolled down my face. I tried to open my eyes, to see who it was. I felt my eyelids open, but there was only darkness. The small voice came again.

"Padmé?" I recognized it, yet my mind would not tell me the reason why. I braced myself against a wave of nausea, and the fire started once more in my limbs. I swallowed harshly, trying to break out of the pain. "Doctor Zhel, is she alright?" With the voice came a caress of my cheek, and the pain seemed to subside. I turned my head towards the source, and I heard it whisper.

"Angel?"

I knew who it was. I struggled to speak, and managed a single word. "Ani?"

I heard a sigh of relief, and the hand lay back on my forehead. "I'm here. Don't worry."

My memories were clouded, and I fought against another wave of nausea. I weakly tried to reach a hand out, to touch his face. "Anakin?" I repeated. A firm hand grasped mine.

"Don't. You have an IV. I'm right here, Angel."

"Anakin," My breathing was harsh, and another wave of sickness passed over me. "Don't leave. Stay." I

"I'm staying, Padmé. I won't leave you." The voice was comforting, and I closed my eyes. The excruciating flames in my limbs began to fade, and I slept once more.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I awoke some time later. As I opened my eyes, the room was blurred. I tried to make out figures, but only colors showed themselves. The pain has all but ceased in my limbs, and the nausea had subsided.

"Anakin?" I called, remembering his promise.

"Padmé, can you see me?" His warm voice let relief fall over me. I shook my head.

"I can't see. Where am I?" I tried again to find him, but all I could see was a group of lights straight in front of me.

"The Imperial Senate MedCenter. You have been in stasis for 19 years." His voice grew slightly strained, and I could tell he was holding back emotion. He whispered something, nearly unintelligible. _"19 years without you."_

"What happened?" I inquired. I tried to remember, but my memories were obscured. "Why am I here, Ani?"

"You don't remember?" He asked incredulously. I shook my head in response. He sighed. "Your heart was enlarged, and filled with fluid, and it stopped. They had to put you in stasis to save your life."

I a nagging feeling told me was not telling the entire truth, but I was too tired to argue with him. I turned my head to one side, and looked at the blurs. I felt a familiar sensation grip my small hand. Remembrance sparked in my head. His cybernetic hand's glove. "Ani, why aren't you using your normal hand?"

"I lost it." His answer was simple, and I knew he didn't want to discuss it. "They are both robotic."

A tear came to my eyes; I knew how much he hated having the first one. "I'm sorry."

He wiped it away, and his voice became serious. "No, don't be sorry."

I grasped his hand in return. A door opened, and I heard footsteps. "Lord Vader, we need to give her more medication."

Anakin's voice spoke. "Go ahead."

A cold feeling filled my body. _Lord Vader? _The voice became directed at me. "Ms. Padmé? We need to give you an injection. It will burn, and you will become drowsy. Alright?"

I nodded. The hand brushed my forehead as I felt a medical droid give the injection.

I heard one last voice. "Sleep well, Angel."

My thoughts were still haunted by the name she had spoken.

Vader.

_Voices echoed in my head, as my memories flooded my mind. _

"_Padme, I need your help. He's in grave danger.__"_

"_From the Sith?"___

"From himself . . . Padme, Anakin has turned to the dark side."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Vader sat incredulously, wondering how Padmé could have forgotten what he had done to her. He knew that hibernation sickness could cause amnesia. _But she remembered my name, that I had a cybernetic hand. _

He waited for her to awaken, and he braced himself for her reaction to his face. Removing the mask had given him the ability to speak with her. He was grateful for that. How could he possibly explain his condition? He could not forgive himself for what he had done to her, but he knew she would give him her endless sympathy. He was a monster, and he reminded himself of that daily, for the past 19 years.

Vader began to get frustrated. He was truly angry at Obi-Wan, for failing him. _Why did he have to follow Padmé? _His nerves were fraying, and every second thought of his old master caused him to tense. He held in a growl, and noticed he had been gripping Padmé's hand intensely.He swore in Huttese, and released her from his grip. He held his head in his hands, and struggled to control his emotions. _I will not hurt her again. I cannot hurt her again. _

He sat quietly, his hatred of himself the only company he had.

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When I opened my eyes, the light burned them. I blinked hard a few times, and then tried to focus on the wall across from me. I noticed I could see every detail, and smiled that my vision had returned. There was a small window near my right side, and I looked out at the passing traffic. As my mind became further oriented, I noticed something else. The chair beside my bed was empty.

"Ani?" I called quietly. _Was it just a dream? Did I even see him before? _My heart began to race, and memories began to flood my mind. Short scenes ran through my conscious.

_Where are the twins? Is Anakin dead? Is the Empire still…in charge? _

Mustafar's lava plumes and ash interrupted my questions. My throat felt tight, and I remembered Anakin trying to kill me. _His anger, his power was more important than I was. How could I possibly still love a man who tried to kill me? _I had no answer. I didn't hate him, I was just furious with his attempt to kill me in cold-blood.

He wasn't the only one I was irate with. The other two were Jedi masters. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda. How could they have just let Anakin go? They knew he was struggling, yet they did nothing to help him. The rules of the Jedi Council were too important to let a young man save his mother. Or his wife. My eyes narrowed, and I tried to control my raging fury.

I closed my eyes, and took a few deep breaths. I heard noises around me, but I figured it must be a medical droid. I continued to lie quietly, attempting to relax my quick breaths.

"Padmé?" _Anakin. He was here. _I continued my calming routine, ignoring the new round of frustration that came with his voice. "Are you awake? Can you see?"

I opened my eyes, and turned my head. I was ready to give him my thoughts, to get rid of all my anger. I stopped, my mouth open. A small gasp escaped my lips.

An unfamiliar man sat in the chair next to me. His entire body, with the exception of his face, was covered in black armor. His face was scarred and pale, and he had none of his golden curls left on his scalp. The only thing left that I could recognize were his glistening cerulean eyes. He turned his eyes away, looking ashamed.

I finally gained the nerve to speak. "Wha-what happened?" It was a whisper; I was still shocked to see the man I once knew changed so drastically.

He looked up at me, his eyes sad. "Obi-Wan did this to me. He left me to die on Mustafar. I wear the suit to live, and a mask when I am not in an oxygenated environment. " He sighed. "I am an evil being, it is fitting." His face turned away from me once more.

To see my beloved scarred and tortured by his emotions was near unbearable. I couldn't think of what to say. Yes, he had caused me to suffer, but was it really necessary for him to be trapped in a suit for the rest of his life?

"Ani." I paused, waiting for him to look at me. "Don't, you are still the man I love."

His eyes flashed an eerie yellow. "I am no longer Anakin Skywalker, the brave Jedi Knight, fighting for democracy and peace. I am Darth Vader, Sith Lord and part of the Empire." He stood and looked out the small window. "The man you loved does not exist. I killed him when I hurt you on Mustafar."

I still did not want to fight with him. There were more questions that I needed answers to. _The Empire is still alive, but what about the twins? Does he know they exist? Is Obi-Wan still alive, and where is he? _

"Can you answer some questions for me?" I asked meekly.

He sat once more, and looked at me intently. "Yes, but I am still unsure of some of the answers." He sounded exhausted.

I didn't know where to start, and I felt anxiety creep up on me. "The baby… I think it … died. I'm not sure." I did not want to lie, I loathed being untruthful. His eyes dulled, and he shook his head.

"I have not sensed it in the Force; I do not think it survived. I believe you are right. " He put his hand to his forehead, and I could tell that he despised how he gave up everything.

"Ani, it was twins." I scanned his face for a reaction. His face registered shock, and then returned to the previous monotone expression. He was hiding his emotions, as he had done so many times before.

"A boy and a girl."

He stood abruptly, and strode over to the corner of the room. As a medical droid passed, he shoved it violently. It shattered into a thousand pieces, and fear began to numb me.

"Anakin! Stop!" I tried to yell, but it came out as a whimper. He roared, and another droid fell victim to his rage. My eyes filled with tears, and I could barely speak. I began to shake. "Ani…please." He looked at me, and his eyes were a swirl of fire. They were hostile, and unfamiliar. He walked towards me, and I instinctively held up my arm. I was terrified of him, he was a stranger.

He looked at me, and left the room. I saw him in the airlock, as he replaced his mask. Watching him go, I doubted my trust in him.

_Was there still good in his soul? _

_Or was he the Sith he claimed to be? _


	5. Premonitions

_A/N: Sorry for the later than usual update, I've been up to a lot again! I will most likely be updating every week. Earlier if I have time. Thanks again for all the reviews and favorites. _

4

Premonitions

The Millennium Falcon passed over miles of dark green forest, and Chewbacca punched away at the Galactic Positioning screen. It began to beep, and he let out a growl.

Han turned to him. "There's no base? There has to be! Check the coordinates again." He leaned over two screens, and then pushed a few buttons on the console. "Try it now, Chewie." He trilled, and shook his head.

Luke stood up and looked at the console. "It's around here, I feel it. Can you send a message on all frequencies?"

"Sure, kid. Hopefully someone friendly's on the other end though." His voice was slightly more sarcastic than usual, and he picked up a small microphone. "Yavin IV base, this is Captain Han Solo of the Millennium Falcon. We are requesting permission to land."

Static filled the cockpit for a moment, and then a voice broke through. "Captain Solo, this is Yavin IV base. We are removing the invisibility shield from the landing bay. Proceed to coordinates 60, 40."

"Thank you, Yavin base. Solo out." The mic crackled again and then shut off. "Alright, Chewie. Did ya get that?" The wookiee shook his head in agreement. With a flip of a few switches, the Falcon was headed for the base. Han spun in his chair. "We should be there in 20 minutes, kid."

Luke stood, and headed back to the living quarters. "Hey Ben. We'll be at the base in 20 minutes." The old Jedi Master looked up, and his eyes narrowed for a moment.

"Luke, something is bothering you, isn't it?"

The blonde-haired boy shook his head in response. "No."

"Be wary of your feelings. They can tell you when you are in danger. It is not wise to hide them." His voice was stern; he wanted Luke to be honest with him. His storm-grey eyes scanned the boy's once more.

Luke sat on a metal bench. He looked defeated. "Alright. I've been having these dreams. I don't know what they mean."

"What are they about?" Ben leaned forward. "Do you recognize the people in them?"

"I don't know. I'm sitting on an island, on a strange planet. There are a lot of green plants, and a big palace is in front of me." He sighed, and continued with his head down. "When I look at the palace, there are people on the balcony. I feel like I know them, but I've never seen their faces before. There are two women. One has curly brown hair, she's older. She is very beautiful and she smiles. Another woman has brown hair in a braid. Behind her is a dark shadow. I can't see the face, but I know that it's a person. I can't remember the rest. A big green light fills my eyes, and it gets really hot. Then I wake up." He tossed a piece of fabric he was fiddling with. "It's stupid, I know."

Ben stood, and put a hand on his shoulder. "Your dreams can be messages from the Force. From the past, the present, or the future. You must watch them, but in time they will reveal their true meaning. They…" He stopped. Kenobi was slightly startled by Luke's dreams, and he had a nagging feeling that the boy's dream was a premonition. He looked outside into the vast darkness of space. _Could it be a dream of his mother and his sister?_ _How would he know what they look like, unless someone has showed him? _He realized that Force imprints of his family had been uncovered, from a recent memory. But what memory could that be? _The holo! His subconscious memory has allowed the Force to send him a message. _

"Ben?" Luke had appeared in front of him. "Are you alright? You just kind of trailed off and had a weird look on your face." He looked concerned.

"Yes. My mind isn't what it used to be, I'm afraid." Ben turned and looked back at Luke. "We should be arriving soon. You should get prepared."

Luke agreed soundlessly, and walked into an adjoining room. He began to pack his small amount of possessions. A few shirts, a pair of desert pants, a small stone he had taken from Tatooine, and his father's lightsaber. He twirled the chrome hilt in his hand, and ignited the deep blue blade. It made him happy to have a piece of his real family. He tried to imagine his father fighting alongside hundreds of Jedi, trying to preserve peace and justice. Sitting down on the bunk bed with the saber in hand, he let his daydreaming take over.

Images floated around in his mind, none of them having a rhyme or reason.

Everything went black as he drifted into slumber.

_I woke up in a strange chamber, the ceilings grand and the whole room bigger than I thought possible. It was dim, but just enough light escaped from a strange beam at the end of the hallway. It changed from red to blue, pulsing with every step I took towards it. Suddenly, a roar filled my ears. Around me thousands of beams in emerald and cobalt began to light the room. Running backward, a feeling of dread filled my stomach. The strange color changing beam started to swing, and slowly move forward. The specks of colored light began to fall and disappear. I tried to run faster, but my legs stopped moving. I fell to the hard ground, and more beams became darkness. Counting the seconds, I waited helplessly for the mysterious light to reach me. _

_1…2…3… Closer… 4…5…6… Mere feet away… 7…8…9… _

_A figure rose from behind the light, and I recognized it instantly. How or why, that was a mystery. I reached an arm out, and called. _

_He didn't stop. He walked through me, lying on the ground. A group of more glowing rays were in his path._

_Behind the rays were people. Different races, ages. Fear and determination marked on their faces. _

_The psychedelic blade rose, and slashed down. _

"_No!" I screamed. Why would he do something like this? These were innocent beings, and they had not attacked him, had they? Were they traitors? _

_I knew they weren't, something deep in my mind told me that. I watched as each light was snuffed out, their being seeming to evaporate as bodies fell lifeless to the ground. _

_When they had all gone, the light turned to me. The man reached a hand to me, but I didn't take it. He kneeled, and began to shake me. His eyes were a sickly yellow, and my eyes stuck on the silver hilt of a lightsaber beside him. The same one I had held many times before._

_He continued to shake me, and I ignored it. I let his face fade from what I hoped was a simple dream. _

The brightness of the room blinded Luke as he opened his eyes. Han was above him, a twinge of worry in his normally mischievous eyes.

The grin returned to his face as he realized Luke was awake. "Hey kid. You awake now?"

Skywalker rubbed his eyes and yawned. "Yeah, Han. I just had the strangest dream though." Dread still flowed through his veins; he couldn't understand what he had seen. His father was a great warrior, and died protecting the Republic. Did he really kill innocent people?

Han was still talking, not realizing that Luke was ignoring him. "Anyway, we're at the base now, and they set up some rooms for us. You'd better hurry, because we're meeting with the Queen in half an hour." He opened a closet in the wall and dug through it. "Here. This is more presentable. Should fit you." A pile of clothing landed in Luke's lap.

"Thanks Han. I'll meet up with you in a minute." He stood and put the last of his things in his bag. Han left the room, and Luke could hear him start talking with Ben.

After changing into the clothes, he tossed the old ones into the sack. It felt odd for him to wear something other than the bland white desert wear. He looked in a mirror, and checked out his appearance. "Guess I'll have to get used to it. I don't think I'm ever going back home." Slinging his bag on his back, he walked out of the room. Ben stood, and Han turned around.

"Well, I think it's time to meet with Her Highness. Don't you think so Luke?" Han began to walk out of the room.

"Hold on, Han. I gotta turn on the droids." Luke started for the astromech and protocol droids sitting in the corner.

"Alright. I'm going to give Chewie some instructions. I want him to stay here. I'll be back in a minute." Han left, and Luke flipped the sleep switches on C-3PO and R2D2.

The golden protocol droid instantly began to ramble. "Oh goodness gracious me! What happened? I was just walking around and I don't remember anything else! I didn't miss anything, did I?"

Luke sighed, already slightly annoyed with his constant talking. "You were turned off, 3PO."

R2 made a long noise, as if he was startled.

"Calm down, R2. You heard what Master Luke said. We were just in sleep mode." The astromech interjected with a raspberry. "Don't be silly. I knew that the entire time."

"Come on you two, we have a meeting with the Queen of Alderaan." Luke patted R2's dome before he walked to the small corridor adjacent. 3PO and R2 followed close behind him.

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The group of four, plus R2 rolling behind, followed a green Twi'lek down a long hall. Eventually they came to a doorway, where the Twi'lek punched in a code. The door opened, and she bowed. "Enter, the Queen awaits you."

They walked in, and bowed to the Queen of Alderaan. She stood, her deep purple gown flooding the ground around her, and motioned for them to take a seat around a large table. "Welcome, I am Queen Breha. Please take a seat. We have a lot to discuss." She sounded anxious, and took a large breath before sitting back down.

Luke started first. "My uncle and I bought a protocol and astromech droid." He motioned to the two droids behind him. "The astromech, R2D2, wandered off in the evening. I went to find him, but was attacked by Tusken Raiders. Ben Kenobi rescued me. We went to his hut, and then R2 played a message from Princess Leia."

Shock filled the Queen's face. "Do you have this message?"

"Yes. I can show it to you." Luke motioned to R2. "Play the message, please, R2."

A small blue holo appeared on the table. It fizzled, and then an image of the Princess appeared. She was wearing a white dress with a hood, and she clasped her hands together regally.

"General Kenobi. Years ago, you served my father in the Clone Wars. Now he begs you to help him in his struggle against the Empire. I regret that I am unable to present my father's request to you in person, but my ship has fallen under attack and I'm afraid my mission to bring you to Alderaan has failed. I have placed information vital to the survival of the Rebellion into the memory systems of this R2 unit. My father will know how to retrieve it. You must see this droid safely delivered to him in Alderaan. This is our most desperate hour. Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope." She looked behind her quickly. Her figure crouched and the image faded away.

Queen Breha's face was tense, and Ben could tell how emotional she was. She swallowed heavily, and looked to the old Jedi and Luke. "I will get someone to put the plans into the computer system. I apologize that you will not be able to meet with my husband, as he has been captured by the Empire as well." With another breath she seemed to regain some composure. "I invite you to stay with us. You will be a valuable asset to the Rebellion."

Luke quickly responded. "We would be honored." Han looked to Luke with a raised eyebrow. "Although my friend, Han Solo, has a client that needs to be paid."

Before he could speak, the Queen interrupted. "How much is the bounty?"

Han was a little off-put by her insight into his situation. "20,000 credits."

"In gratitude for your bringing me this important message, consider it paid. I will have someone give you the amount, and then you will be free to leave." She pressed a button on the table, and spoke a few quick orders.

"Thank you, Your Highness." Han tried to hide the growing redness in his face.

"If you don't mind, I would like to speak with Master Kenobi alone." The Queen looked at the group around her.

Luke and Han bowed slightly as they stood. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness."

She smiled in response to Luke's reply. "Please, call me Breha."

The two of them nodded simultaneously. They left the room followed by C-3PO and headed down to their quarters.

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Breha walked up to Ben. "Obi-Wan! I'm so glad to see you again." She hugged him abruptly.

"It is a pleasure to see you again as well." For the first time in a long time, Obi-Wan allowed himself to smile. His blue-grey eyes turned friendly and crinkled at the corners.

"Please, take a seat again." She sat back in a chair, her aged features still held kindness from so long ago. "I have so many questions. I hope you can answer them."

Obi-Wan stroked his grey beard. "I do not have many answers. I have been living in exile for the past 19 years, I'm afraid." His wise voice had a hint of sadness.

She nodded understandingly. "Have you been watching Luke? How did you end up coming along with him?"

"Yes. I have been looking over him for the past 2 decades. I followed him when he went to find R2D2, and rescued him from the Tuskens. He showed me the message, and I told him about his father and the Force. He wanted to go back home, but Beru and Owen were killed by Stormtroopers." Ben sighed. "I have been training him for the past week. I think he will be the one to save the galaxy."

"Does he know anything yet?" The Queen's voice quieted, and she glanced to the doorway.

"No. He has been having dreams, but he does not know yet." Obi-Wan looked to Breha, his voice taking the same tone. "I told him that his father was a great Jedi, who died by the hand of Darth Vader. I told him nothing of a sister, or his mother. What about Leia?"

"Bail took her to see her mother in hibernation a few times, but he told her it was merely a friend." Breha sounded nervous. "We never told her she was adopted. I think she figured it out, but we never told her. She knows who you are because Bail liked to tell her of his old friends."

"That decision could be unwise, unfortunately. Darth Vader can search Leia's mind, and find her memories." Obi-Wan placed one elbow on the table, and rubbed his brow. "I hope he hasn't found the location of the base."

"Oh, no." Breha clasped a hand over her mouth. "I know now. I understand." Obi-Wan looked at her with concern. "Vader took my husband and me for interrogation. I escaped, but Bail is still there." She wrung her hands, the cold realization seeping into her voice. "He wanted Bail to tell him where she is!"

Obi-Wan instantly stood, his features grave. "Then I hope it is not too late. Do you know where she is?"

Breha stood as well, anxiously smoothing her dress. "They are most likely on Coruscant. Please, I must go with you. My husband and daughter are with him, as well as one of my very good friends."

The old Jedi nodded solemnly. "Very well. I would prefer you to stay, but it is your decision." He knew of the Queen's resolve, it was a close second to Padmé's. "It would be helpful if Han is still here, we need an un-documented ship for passage. I will get Luke and the droids."

"I will get some weapons and supplies, I'm sure we will need them." She bit her lip; her voice was full of stress. "Do you think we can leave within the hour?"

"We will have to ask Han." Obi-Wan left the room, and Breha headed for the comm that lay on the table.

"I need the _Millennium Falcon _fueled and a standard measure of supplies and weapons loaded on board. Within the next hour, please." She clicked the speak button off, and waited for a reply.

"Yes, milady."

"I also need my travelling outfits packed and placed onboard. Alert Mothma and Shessaun, I am heading off-planet on a mission." She did not wait for a reply; the anxiety was growing too great. She headed to her quarters, and waited for Ben to contact her.

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Luke went onboard the _Falcon, _and was followed by Han, R2D2 and C-3PO. Han was visibly agitated; he knew he was running out of time to pay the bounty on his head. As they got on board, Han headed for the cockpit. Luke started to set up the spare quarters for the Queen.

When he was finished, he sat on the metal bench. He was more exhausted then he had ever been. Ben had only told him that they needed to save Leia and her father. It was only a guess, but Luke thought that there was another reason. _Maybe something to do with my dreams._

"Master Luke, are you alright? You look quite fatigued." C-3PO stopped him from his thoughts.

"Yeah, I am tired Threepio. I'll be fine though." Luke rubbed his eyes and stood.

Ben strode into the room. "Hello Luke. The Queen will be here in a moment."

"Ben, I can't shake the feeling that we won't just save Leia and her father. I feel like something else very important is going to happen." He mumbled, almost as if he was unsure of his thoughts.

"Watch your feelings, Luke. They can decide your future." Ben took on his usual wise tone.

The Queen entered, and Han came behind her. "Are we ready?"

Ben spoke up. "Indeed we are. Han, set coordinates for Coruscant."

"Alright. Everyone hold on tight." He grinned and left for the control room. Luke followed him, and Breha and Ben stayed in the living quarters.

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"You ready, kid?" Han questioned as he eased them out of the landing bay.

"Ready as I'll ever be. Let's go." Luke smiled at Han, and Chewie growled at both of them.

They soared over the deep forest for a few moments, until they exited the atmosphere. Then they were in vast space, the sky littered with sparkling stars.

"Chewie, set the hyperspace coordinates." The wookiee typed them in, and Han turned to the controls.

"Here we go!" He shoved the steering lever, and they lurched.

The stars became ethereal rays of white, and the _Falcon _disappeared in a speck of blue light.


	6. Across The Stars

_A/N: Thanks again for all the reviews and views! Let me know if there are any errors/continuity issues. :) _

_I hope you enjoy the chapter._

5

Across The Stars

I sat still in the MedCenter bed, my fear clamping my throat. _I should have told him the truth! _Regret sickened me. I took a deep breath, trying to push back the bile. My hands still shook. Memories from the day on Mustafar rushed to me. For the second time, I was afraid of him. Of what he had become. It seemed impossible that he could ever be the same Anakin I knew 19 years ago.

Despair made my throat grow tighter. _How could someone with such good in them become so evil? _I stopped myself. _Was he even truly evil?_ As much as I tried to push him away, I realized I could never do it. _He was my Ani and I was his Angel! _A gossamer vision of his lopsided smile and shimmering sea blue eyes appeared before me.

"_I love you, Angel. Forever." _ My heart shattered into a million pieces. I blinked, trying to take the image away. As soon as it appeared, it was gone. The nausea returned. My eyes stung, blurring the walls and monitors surrounding me. Small droplets of salt water flowed down my face. They stained the crisp white gown I wore. I wanted to scream. I closed my eyes and turned onto my side. The heart monitor beside me beeped incessantly, the speed making me even more stressed.

His face reappeared behind my closed eyes. I blinked, trying to make it fade. The image lingered, and I grew even more agitated. With my emotions it began to morph. The golden curls changed to pale skin, the eyes became sunken, and red scars crisscrossed his face. The face made me frustrated and even more distraught.

"What do you want from me? What do you want me to do? I love _Anakin! _Are you even that man anymore?" I gasped as I realized my voice yelling in my head was aloud.

My eyes filled again with hot tears. I bit my lip. I was so furious with him. He could tell me a million times how sorry he was. Force, he could bring me all the Sein jewels in the galaxy. I couldn't stand by his side, knowing what he had done to those innocent Jedi. What he had done to me. He didn't _deserve_ to have me by his side.

I remembered his scarred face, pale and sullen. My strength began to waver. _You love him, Padmé. You can't deny that. _That was the truth. As much as I hated his actions, I still loved _him._ I shook my head, trying to get his image out of my mind. Another thought, more painful than the rest. _He has lost everything. Do you really want him to suffer without you? He thinks the twins are dead, his limbs are robotic. He is a slave to Palpatine. _

Dr. Zhel rushed into the room, breaking my trance. First seeing me curled into a fetal position, she then gasped at the state of the room. I sat up quickly, trying to hide any emotion I was showing. I caught my reflection in the window. My eyes betrayed my façade. Bloodshot and swollen, the doctor would know I had been crying.

She spoke quietly but urgently, trying to calm my nerves. "What happened? Are you alright? Where is Lord Vader?" I tried to speak, but I couldn't. She took a few steps closer. "Take a deep breath. You need to bring down your heart rate."

I did as she instructed, and started again. "He was so… _angry._"

She clasped a hand over her mouth, losing her professional appearance. "He did all this?" My shock and fear began to fade. I gathered the strength to follow her gaze. With a glance around the room, I realized why she was so stunned. A pile of smoking metal lay below the monitors. Above it was a large gash in the wall. Wires sparked and sizzled, and a large crack was in the screens showing my vital signs.

Looking away from the carnage to me, she had one question left. "Why?"

I shook my head, not wanting to answer her question. "I can't. I can't talk about it."

With an understanding look, she paged a maintenance droid. "Please try to rest. You will recover much faster with as little stress as possible."

I laid back into the stiff bed. Closing my eyes once again, I turned my thoughts away from Anakin.

_The twins. _

I remembered their beautiful faces, their soft skin and big eyes. I recalled the bittersweet joy of seeing them, and my voice speaking their names.

Anakin believed they had died, but I knew they had not. They were alive. The Jedi definitely took them far away from the Empire, but they were still alive.

A smile crossed my face, shunting my tears aside. _I would see my children._

Not only that, I realized. They were my last hope to save him. To save the galaxy.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Fuming, the Sith Lord stormed down the hallway. _I lost them! I had __**twins**_. _I am so stupid. _Red swirled around the edges of his vision, and he clenched his fist. _I'm not the only one to blame. If Obi-Wan had listened, they might still be here! _An animalistic growl started in Vader's throat at the thought of his old master.

"Lord Vader!" Ozzel's voice came through on the comm, breaking the quiet of the room.

Vader answered the call swiftly, not even attempting to calm his ire. "Yes, Admiral?"

"We have received information from Tarkin that the small Rebel presence on Dantooine has been eradicated. In addition, The Emperor requests a meeting with you at once." The Admiral seemed unusually anxious, and Vader knew that it was an obligatory conference.

"I will be on board within the hour. Let the Emperor know of my itinerary." Vader had stood, and exited the small room. As livid as he was, he needed to let Padmé know where he was going. Pulling a protocol droid aside, he gave it a message. "Inform my wife that I have gone to my Star Destroyer. I expect to be back within the next few hours."

The droid nodded. "Yes, Lord Vader." It waddled off towards Padmé's room.

Vader continued to walk towards the landing bay, testing the strength of his mind barriers. If Palpatine got any information, Padmé would be in grave danger. He couldn't bear to lose her again. That was exactly what would happen if he wasn't mentally prepared. Exiting the corridor, he walked to his shuttle. A group of Stormtroopers guarded the entrance, and he waved them away as he boarded.

Rage and anxiety formed a potent mix in his stomach, as he waited for the shuttle to reach the _Devastator._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Vader's shuttle arrived on the _Devastator,_ and he strode off the loading ramp. Quickening his pace, he made his way to the holo communications. He prepared to let his anger roam freely; it often put the Emperor off his trail.

He kneeled, and a blue image formed.

"Lord Vader. I am glad you finally returned to your ship." He sneered, showing his rotting teeth. "How is your health?"

"I am fine; I was undergoing a few routine tests." He replied humbly, trying to block the Emperor from his thoughts.

"Good, my friend. I expect you will be able to attend a meeting on the Death Star. Our intelligence has picked up some vital information, and Tarkin has destroyed the Rebel base on Dantooine." Palpatine's tone was condescending. He tried again to find his hidden memories, but Vader blocked the attempt.

"I shall be there, my master."

"I expect it, Lord Vader." Palpatine was frustrated by the strength of Vader's will, and almost spat the words. Vader bowed his head, and waited for the Emperor's image to fade. When he was gone, the Sith Lord stood.

_Blast! He suspects I'm hiding something. I need to make a plan, and fast. If he finds out any information, I'm as good as dead. _

Aside from his anger for the Emperor he realized just what his assignment meant. He needed to either leave Padmé alone at the Med Center, or find a way to hide her on board his Star Destroyer. The former might be safer, unless Palpatine learned of her existence. If he had her on board she would be much safer. He could constantly watch over her, and he had complete control of the environment.

Padmé had no reason to listen to him. He betrayed her trust, but if she didn't listen she would be putting herself in danger.

_Why does everything have to be so complicated? _Vader smashed his fist into the wall. There was only one thing he could do. _Ask. Would she even let me near her? _With a sigh, he left the small room and proceeded to the bridge.

_I can't prove to her anything. I cannot look into her eyes and say I'm Anakin. I'm not!_

The door to the bridge slid open, and Ozzel turned to look. With a few strides Vader was side by side with him. "Admiral, prepare hyperspace coordinates for the Death Star. It is in orbit of Dantooine."

Ozzel nodded acknowledgement. "Yes, Lord Vader." He motioned to a crewman sitting at a console.

Vader continued. "I will be going back to the planet's surface. We will have a confidential meeting with the high command on board the ship when I return." If anyone said anything about Padmé being onboard to the other fleets or branches, she would be in more danger than he could protect her from.

Another nod from the Admiral. "Yes, my lord. May I ask what the meeting is for?"

"It is about a security matter that has arisen, involving high profile individuals onboard this Star Destroyer. You may use that as a quick briefing, but do not mention it to anyone not stationed on this ship. Understood?" Vader tried to hold his frustration back, but as usual was not doing well.

"Yes. The proper crew shall be notified, Lord Vader."

Turning away once again, he proceeded to the hangar bay. He boarded the shuttle once more. Gazing out the window, he watched as the glow of the Coruscanti skyline came ever closer.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dr. Zhel was just about to leave the room, when she turned around to look at me again. From her front pocket she pulled a silken parcel. She stepped back over to my bedside.

"This was in your chamber. I thought you might want to have it back." Taking my hand, she placed it in my palm.

With one last check of the displays surrounding me, she left.

I sat alone once again. The maintenance droid had fixed the damage to the room, as well as the monitors. With a failing attempt I tried to rid myself of earlier emotions. One side of me tried to figure out why I could not bear to leave Anakin, but my heart told me I should just accept it. I just let myself fall into memories, the feelings I could remember, for nothing else seemed to matter.

I mustered as much emotional strength as I could. With one trembling hand I opened the packet.

Out tumbled a pendant, with a silver chain attached.

_The Japor Snippet. _

A new round of tears started in my eyes. I gently undid the clasp, and put it around my neck. The soft wood fell between the folds of my gown. The torrent of emotion started again.

_I stepped into the small living area, dressed in a Handmaiden gown. The lights had been dimmed. Jar Jar slept on one side of the room, and R2D2 nearby him. I stepped quietly; I didn't want to awaken anyone. The vivid fire-like gown trailed me as I proceeded to the holo communication system. A holo of Sio Bibble faded into view. His face was fraught with concern, and he spoke anxiously. _

"…_cut off all food supplies until you return...the death toll is__  
__catastrophic...we must bow to their wishes, Your Highness...Please tell us__  
__what to do! If you can hear us, Your Highness, you must contact me..."_

_I took a deep breath, and my heart fell. So many of my people were in danger, many were even dying. I had sworn to protect them, to save them from oppression and corruption. I turned, feeling unsleeping eyes upon my back. A 9 year old Anakin sat shivering, unaccustomed to the cold of outer space. Switching off the message quickly, I walked over to where he was sitting. His young eyes had tears in them. _

_I softened my voice, trying to calm him. "Are you all right?" I could see how upset he was, and it hurt me to know that he was suffering. _

_He looked at me. "It's very cold." I smiled at him, and took my heavy shawl and tucked it around his small frame. _

_As I adjusted the red fabric, I began to talk to him. "You're from a warm planet, Annie. Too warm for my taste. Space is__cold." I finished wrapping it around him. __  
_

_He glanced up into my eyes. "You seem sad." He was right, I was sad. Not for me. For him, for the Naboo, for the peace in the galaxy that was quickly ending. __  
_

_I met his glance. "The Queen is...worried. Her people are suffering...dying. She must__convince the Senate to intervene, or...I'm not sure what will happen." I was holding back emotion, and I could tell he knew. _

___"I'm...I'm not sure what's going to happen to me. I dunno if I'll__ever see you again." He dug around in his pocket, and pulled a small trinket out. "I made this for__you. So you'd remember me. I carved it out of a Japor snippet... It will__bring you good fortune." He seemed very happy, but also nervous as he handed it to me. __  
_

_I looked it over, taking in every small detail. Then I placed the cord around my neck, and let it fall on top of the intense orange fabric._

_I smiled back at him, the small gift making me quite content. "It's beautiful, but I don't need this to remember you. Many things__will change when we reach the capital, Annie. My caring for you will always__remain." _

_A small tear escaped his vibrant blue eyes, and the happiness began fade from his face. __ "__I care for you too. Only I...miss..."_

_Somehow I knew what he would say. I finished his sentence. "You miss your mother."___

_His eyes looked up to me again, filled with tears. He nodded, ever so slightly. I leaned forward and hugged him. When I let go, I readjusted the shawl around him._

"_Don't be afraid, Ani. You will see your mother again, and she will be so very proud of you." I patted his shoulder. _

_A bittersweet smile filled his face, and he curled into the fabric. "Good night," he whispered. _

"_Good night." I replied, as I quietly left the room. _

_I lay down in a bunk, and closed my eyes. Sleep came peacefully, as I faded into a deep tranquility._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Padmé?" a deep voice startled me awake.

I slowly opened my eyes, and saw light filter through the window beside me. The rays fell across the room, bathing it in warmth. A tall, dark figure stood beside my bed. I sat quickly, and I could feel my IV protest. His face was covered by the mask once again.

My reply was as harsh as acid. "What?"

"I need to speak with you. Is that all right?" He sounded tired, exasperated. Truthfully, I didn't want to talk to anyone. I gave in only because we needed to sort out the emotions between us.

I sighed. "Yes." I turned to look at him. He sat in a chair nearby my bedside.

"I need to travel to the planet Dantooine. To visit a space station." A lengthy pause interrupted his speech. I knew he was trying to tread carefully, to get the best reaction from me. "It would be unsafe for you to remain here. The Emperor has spies, and many high ranking personnel are treated in this MedCenter." Another break, his harsh breathing filled the room.

I interrupted. "You want me to go with you to the space station?" A trickle of the earlier acidic tone still remained, but mostly I spoke in surprise.

He nodded slowly. "That is correct. It would be much safer for you there."

I wasn't exactly ready to be around him for any extended length of time, but what choice did I have? He would not let me stay anywhere that I was in harm's way. "For the record, Anakin, I don't approve of this. Hiding in plain sight is not an ideal plan." I stopped, making sure the words sunk in. "However, I will stay on your ship if you feel it is best."

I could sense his relief, even though I could not see his face. He stood. "I shall prepare…" He stopped. One of his gloved hands reached out to me, and grasped the Japor pendant. Words failed to come to him. He kneeled beside me. "You-you still have this?" He stammered, and his emotional shield fell before my eyes.

I looked down, and a tear of forgiveness fell onto his glove. The pain he had caused me earlier vanished. "For 32 years, I've kept this with me. I never left it behind." He raised his masked face to mine. "I will cherish it forever, as a token of your love."

"The man you once knew is no longer here. I am no longer Anakin." He spoke in a hushed tone.

"It doesn't matter if you call yourself Darth Vader or Anakin. You still are the only one I will ever love." I matched his quiet voice. My feelings prevented me from anything else. I could feel how much he hated himself, how much emotional turmoil he was in. "I may not forgive you for the times you hurt me. It won't be easy, but I can learn to love you again."

His gloved hand rose and moved a single brunette curl behind my ear. He exhaled, and the ventilator echoed with its rhythm. "I'm… sorry." There was nothing I wanted to hear more.

"Thank you, Anakin." Another tear fell, this time from happiness.

_I could forgive him, if he forgave himself._

He stood. "I should find Dr. Zhel." Before I could stop him, he was out of the room.

I held the Japor pendant in my hand, swallowing the rest of my tears. "I love you, Ani." I whispered. Nobody heard me, but it didn't matter. I knew it. I only hoped he did as well.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After a few minutes of waiting, I grew anxious. Anakin had not returned. I was still torn from the earlier events. Common sense was telling me that he was dangerous, and that I could not trust him completely. My heart told me otherwise. _I wish something could tell me whether I'm making the right choice!_

I looked around the room, and then to my hands. Age was beginning to show, the skin slightly translucent. I stopped, the idea of seeing myself age discomforting. Maneuvering the bed so I could sit more comfortably, I tried to imagine the faces of Luke and Leia. I created memories of them taking their first steps, going to school. Leia would join the Legislative Youth; Luke would become a great Jedi. I saw my own brown eyes set in Leia's youthful face. Luke's blue eyes a reflection of Anakin's. _How wonderful will it be to see them. _ The mere thought made me ecstatic, and my smile lit the room.

Dr. Zhel walked into the room, and Anakin followed close behind. Again, he didn't remove his mask. "Hello Padmé. I'm just going to check your vital signs, and do a few routine tests." She spoke cheerfully, but seemed to be hiding something.

I simply nodded, attributing it to her being busy. She looked over the monitors, and entered something in her datapad before turning back around. She quickly removed my IV, and the minor wound smarted. "Everything seems to be normal. Your recovery went very well. You are free to go, however you must have daily check-ins with the medical staff on board."

Anxiety crawled up my throat. For a moment, I couldn't believe that I was actually going to be on board an Imperial ship. My trust in Anakin's plan began to falter. _I hope Ani knows what he's doing. _I knew the Emperor, his twisted mind, the evil that coursed through his veins. He followed every plan to the end. His suspicions were seldom incorrect. Those who crossed him had no chance of mercy.

Palpatine was my friend at a point long ago, but now I was truly afraid of him.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Anakin returned to the room with a hover chair. I stood, and stumbled before he caught me.

"Careful. I've got you." His deep voice resonated in the small room. I let him guide me to the chair, and sat down. He was about to turn on the repulsors, when I stopped him.

"Wait." A twinge of regret and fear suddenly showed itself. I knew he could tell, he instantly stopped and strode towards me.

"I will do anything to make sure you are safe, Padmé." He kneeled down to my level, and he spoke tensely. "You are my Angel, and I will not lose you." He gritted his teeth, and I could feel his possessiveness.

I couldn't say anything. As much as I loved him, I could only hope that my faith in his decision would help change him for the better. I nodded. "Let's go then." The chair began to float, and I followed by his side out of the room. Dr. Zhel stood behind the large airlock viewport, and shut off the datapad before instructing the medical droids to begin sanitizing the room.

We passed through the halls in silence. It was only broken by Anakin's breathing mechanism. As we exited out onto the landing platform, a small squadron of Stormtroopers followed close behind. Familiar sounds and sights surrounded me, and I gazed the skyline for 500 Republica, the Senate, and the Jedi Temple. A small but vital part of me wanted those old memories to be real once again. I turned away as the boarding ramp came down; trying to store away the images I saved. I directed the chair into the small corridor, and Anakin guided me to the stately living quarters.

He helped me into the large bed, and made sure I was comfortable. I had definitely seen his anger and his frustration, but he still had humanity in him. It was the first thing he had shown me, and I would not let the darkness take that. Like he would not lose me again, I would not lose him.

"I have to monitor the ship. We should arrive within 2 hours. Rest." His dark figure left, his cloak flowing behind him. I was left alone again and followed his request.

As difficult I thought it would be, my mind swirling with anxiety, fear, and determination, I managed to close my eyes, and slept dreamlessly.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I awoke in a new room, this one duller than the first. It was a plain steel grey, with a large viewport on one side. 2 doors were on the right side, and a third was across from me. I sat up slowly. Temporary dizziness caused me to reel. After waiting for it to pass, I swung my legs over the side of the bed and tried to stand. I managed, but only by holding on to various furniture items around the room as I walked to one of the doors.

A button opened the door, and I used the walls as a support while walking down the hallway. I reached a large living area, with 3 couches and a kitchen to one side. I imagined this would be the suite for royalty or high ranking government. Still leaning on furniture, I made it to the couches and sat down. Finding out where I was wasn't a problem. I knew I was on the Star Destroyer. I wanted to know where Anakin was.

As if he had sensed my question, his armored form appeared from behind a doorway. He strode forward, and stood behind one of the couches. "I'm glad you are awake." His booming voice echoed through the steel walls. "If you are feeling alright, I would like you to attend a meeting on board."

My eyes widened in shock. I panicked, not knowing what he meant. "Meeting?" I whispered.

"I need to introduce you to the crew." He felt my fear, and his tone became softer. "Don't worry, I trust all of the personnel I have invited. They need to know that you cannot be revealed to the Emperor."

_I guess they would find out eventually. _I sighed. In my days as Queen, I never enjoyed hiding from my enemies . Or the public eye. Now I wished I could just crawl into the 'fresher and lock the door.

"I accept, if you think it is safe." I spoke senatorially, something I knew would hide my blinding fear. Looking down I realized suddenly that I was wearing my MedCenter gown. "I can hardly go wearing this."

He walked over to me, and put out an arm. "Come with me. There is a closet within your quarters."

I shook my head stubbornly. "I can go myself." The fear of accepting him again made me seem childish. I stood, too fast. My head spun and I sat down again. "Give me a moment," I panted.

He sighed, and I knew he was a little shocked and annoyed at my sudden break in character. He waited patiently while I regained my footing. As I stood and managed to slowly walk towards the bedroom, he followed behind me. When at last we made it back, he opened the closet door for me. I walked in and it was filled with regal dresses. Most of them I remembered from my days on Coruscant.

"Where did you get these?" I was amazed to see the gowns, yet they were a bittersweet reminder of my past.

"I retrieved them from your apartment. The small sitting room has many of the items from there as well."

With another hesitant step, I pulled a modest silk and linen dress from the rack. It was a beautiful deep red, with a black sash and detailing. In addition I grabbed a long black cloak. I turned to Anakin, and he left. After a few minutes, I had the dress on and my hair in a quick up do. I left the bedroom and returned to the living space, where Anakin was standing, looking out the viewport. Slowly I walked up beside him, waiting for him to react.

We stood in silence, watching the stars sparkle through the blackness of space. His breathing created an ambiance, becoming almost soothing.

He lifted a gloved hand. Hesitating for a mere second, he gently placed it on my shoulder.

I let him. We were together at last, no matter what had come between us. Though he was not forgiven, I loved him. Nothing could change that now.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I anxiously waited at the head of the table, Anakin standing protectively behind me. A few officers entered the large conference room, their eyes widening in surprise at my presence. They sat near the end of the table. As the remaining personnel entered, their reactions were close to the same. Two men were exchanging confused glances. A few muffled whispers floated through the room. I tried to remain calm and collected, hoping my years of political experience would hide any of the strong emotions I felt.

Two more men entered. One closed the door behind him, and the other proceeded to sit to my left. A slight bit of greying red hair showed from his hat, and he had a mustache of the same tones. He seemed quite sure of himself, surely of an aristocratic background. I guessed he was older, perhaps about 50, judging by his aged face. The second sat to my right. He was younger, about 40, but still had wise features. I guessed he was also of a very aristocratic upbringing; he was quite confident and dignified.

Anakin stepped forward. The room grew eerily silent.

"As I am sure you have been briefed, we have a very important passenger. No one but the personnel of this ship are to be told she is on board. It is of the greatest importance." He spoke loudly, the vocoder echoing his voice throughout the room. "If I find any one has violated this instruction, there will be no mercy," he snarled. A few men tried to hide their anxiety, growing with each word Anakin spoke.

One officer looked at Anakin expectantly. Anakin saw him waiting and motioned to him.

With confidence, he started to speak. "Lord Vader, may I ask who she is, and the reason for this security measure?"

A few seconds passed, and I waited for his reply, anxious of how he would handle the situation.

"She is Lady Amidala, former Senator and Queen of Naboo." He paused, waiting for the first announcement to absorb into the group of officers. A few looked confused. I guessed that they heard of my death 19 years earlier.

Anakin spoke again, more solemnly than before. "She is also my wife."


	7. Truth

_A/N Thank you so much for the reviews! I love them so much. Apologies for the late update, writer's block is the worst. This is one part of the chapter, so it is a bit short. I will be posting chapter 7 as the second half! _

_I hope you enjoy the new chapter…_

6

Truth

The room grew silent, and every pair of eyes trained on me. Some faces were filled with shock, others with confusion. I had no words to explain to them what was going on; I was just as confused. After a long while, Anakin decided to break the eerie quiet.

"I expect you to follow protocol, as she is of the same status as I am." I could envision his eyes scanning the group, focusing on the few who hadn't regained composure. A few of the men nodded to acknowledge his order. In the small pause, an officer made a quiet remark. "Excuse me, Captain Pychor. It would seem there is something you would like to mention about Her Excellency?"

The Captains eyes widened, and he began to stutter. Anakin grew irritated. "You do not hide your true thoughts very well, Captain."

"Excuse me, milord," He managed. "I offer the sincerest of apologies."

Anakin did not seem the least bit soothed by his apology, and I could feel his waves of anger through space between us. He began to raise a clutched fist. The man's eyes filled with fear as he struggled for a breath. "_Karking sleemo" _Anakin muttered.

I raised a hand, trying to stop the confrontation. My stomach tensed with anxiety towards his outburst, and I felt nauseous watching the man struggle for a vital breath.

He did not see my signal, and I grew further agitated. My face burned with anguish. I released a shrill order. "Stop at once!"

Shocked, Anakin released the man, who fell out of his chair to the floor, sputtering with each breath.

I sat heavy breaths racking my body. I couldn't believe what he had just done.

A man dressed in all black near the door walked to Anakin, awaiting his order. "Call two troopers to take him to the brig." His fist still shook with anger, and he grabbed the back of the chair to hide it. I fought the urge to bury my face in my hands and break down.

He cleared his throat, turning back to the men and began again. "On to our current assignment. We are to leave to rendezvous with the Death Star in 6 hours. Our estimated arrival is in 2 days. When we arrive, I will be boarding the station to deal with the Rebel Princess, as well as meet with High Command." Fury leaked into his smooth voice as the captain was lead out by two Stormtroopers.

I tried desperately to hide my surprise at his comment about the Rebellion. I was still disgruntled by the choking incident, and I realized what the Rebellion really was. _The movement Bail and Mon had started. The one I had pledged to join. _His booming voice stopped for a moment, so he must have felt my uneasiness. After a short pause, my shock went down a level. He continued.

"I will be returning nightly. When I am gone this Star Destroyer is to be on high alert. I need not remind you of the penalty for inadequacy." He snarled. I nearly cringed once again; his words were harsh and unforgiving, and the man gasping for air returned to my mind. I watched as the officers nervously waited for another sentence. "Meeting adjourned."

They stood and filed out of the room. The two men to either side of me stood, but did not leave right away. I stood, and they bowed deeply.

The older man muttered something to the younger, who left at once, and began to speak. He had a thick Caridian accent. "An honor to have you aboard, milady." I bowed in return, not quite sure of who stood in front of me.

Anakin signaled the man with a wave. "Thank you, Admiral." He turned to me. "This is the Admiral of our fleet, Kendal Ozzel. He is in charge when I am gone, and I want you to let him know anything and everything that may bother you." His tone grew softer, yet not less intense, with each syllable. "It is very important."

Looking back as Ozzel, he spoke sternly once again. "I will brief you on the bridge, Admiral."

"Yes, Lord Vader." With a quick bow, he turned quickly and left, leaving us alone.

I looked at Anakin, and had nothing to say. The atmosphere was tense. Thoughts swarmed around me, each one begging to be said aloud. He took a step forward, coming within inches of where I was standing. I didn't want to be near him, his words from the meeting still smoldered deep in my chest. His actions towards the officer created heaviness in the air.

A gloved and near trembling hand lowered slowly onto my shoulder, and with each second my anxiety grew. A vicious battle of emotions stirred in my mind, and I recoiled. He tried to grab for my withdrawing figure, but I stepped away. I could not try to hide from the person he had become; the Sith Lord was standing right in front of me. Anakin was buried more deeply beneath the surface than I had imagined. Memories of his serene face and striking blue eyes sunk below the soot black mask in front of me.

Managing to step quickly away I exited into the corridor. Still somewhat disoriented, I tripped. My elaborate gown rippled on the floor around me; the red fabric pooled like blood. A few glances from officers became directed at me, and one stopped to try and help. Shaking my head I pulled away from the offer. Trying to smooth my gown, I stumbled a few times as I hurried back to the suite. Locking the door with the touch of a button, I turned and collapsed onto one of the couches.

Closing my eyes, I tried to sift through the near suffocating emotions that threatened my mind. Nothing was working and I could feel Anakin's presence slowly coming closer to where I was. I attempted to believe he was still the man I knew 19 years prior, but seeing him stand in front of those officers and speak so menacingly, to see him harm a person with such anger… I shuddered. I had made a promise to myself, to him, to save him from darkness. It had seemed so simple. Now I had seen reality. I could not bear to leave him, yet I could not stay.

_What would I become if I gave in to the very thing I swore to destroy? _

I rose and slowly walked towards the viewport on the far wall. A squadron of TIEs passed by, and I watched silently as they maneuvered around the fleet. Anakin's presence was near overwhelming. I could feel his pain and remorse. My pale palm rose to the glass, and rested there. I made a silent wish; asking the Force to help me. _Help me save the galaxy, my family. Please. _

A tear rolled down my cheek, and I watched my reflection in the viewport. I became lost in my ruminations. My brown eyes filled with sorrow and lost hope. I continued to stare deep into my strained face, and I saw the door slide open behind me. With a sharp twist I stared him down. He just stood in the entrance, making no effort to come close to me.

I felt distant, like I was watching the scene from above. I fought away a rogue tear, determined not to show him how much he had devastated me with that one action.

I could barely hear my own voice, and yet it was eerily strong. "Why? I put so much trust in you, and within a day you have already almost killed someone _in front of me." _ I heard a barely audible sigh from him, and he took another hesitant step.

"That… man. His thoughts about you were, insulting, to say the least." he growled. "I do not want that kind of _scum _on board my ship." I felt a renewed surge of anger from him. A strange feeling came over me. Was it pride? Adoration? I quickly buried it beneath my frustration.

The walls flashed down around me, and my memories took over. I could feel the heat upon my face; hear the lava bubbling around me. I closed my eyes and focused on coming back to reality. Standing taller I looked at him. "I love you." I tried to iron out the emotion once again taking over. "I know you are not Anakin, not completely. I know there is good in you, but just my trust alone cannot make it show itself."

He looked downward, something he did when he felt overwhelmed or guilty. "I cannot abandon who I am now, nor can I make you love me." He sounded dejected. "I should have…"

I slowly walked forward, instantly knowing what he was going to say. "I'm not leaving." The ferocity of the comment stunned even me. With a rush, every single emotion I had felt since the day on Mustafar took over. "You have hurt me, more than I would like to admit," The words tumbled out, and I tried to finish before tears gripped my throat. "There is pain I have felt that is beyond words, and it was you at the source." I took a harsh breath. "Part of me says to leave you; that you are not worth anything anymore. As much as it might hurt, that side of me hates everything about you. " I quieted my voice. "But I cannot leave. I told you I would love you forever, and I have to save you." My breathing was fast, and I could feel my heart skip a beat. I wanted to scream at him, to show him the pain he had caused me, but I also wanted to embrace him, to leave everything behind. All I could do was run.

I desperately ran to the bedroom, and into the fresher. Locking the door behind me, I sat on the cold painted steel floor and lay my head in my hands. Sobs racked my body. Everything in the galaxy seemed to rest on my shoulders. I was lost. I heard a door slide open distantly. His presence seemed to fade from around me, and I knew he was gone. Another devastating surge of despair took over, and I could not fight it back. Voices of the past haunted my mind, bringing me to the breaking point.

The heat of the lava planet seared my face, and the distinct smell of tar overwhelmed me. I saw his furious face, felt the despair at his betrayal.

_Liar! You're with him! _

No! My throat burned, as I saw his fist clutch the heavy air. _No! _I pressed my palms to my eyes. _Stop! _

The vision faded abruptly. I was back in 500 Republica, and I saw Obi-Wan standing on the landing platform.

_I saw a holo of him… killing younglings._

Nausea took over, and I had nothing I could do. The past hurt me in ways that I could not avoid, that no amount of healing could fix.

I thought about the younglings, with innocent faces, and saw Anakin's sickly yellow irises behind his hood. A blue light sliced down, and I heard cries of terror.

I thought I was going to be sick. I could feel my face going pale, and the light sheen of sweat showing on my face and neck. I shuddered at my thoughts, and tried to calm myself to no avail. Ragged breaths interrupted my dry heaves, and I lay my face against the cold floor. I focused on the soothing coolness, and my quickened heartbeat.

Eventually my breathing calmed and my tears ceased.

I finally stood, the front of my gown damp with tears. My eyes were raw. I didn't look at my reflection, trying to avoid all of the pain that had recently gripped my heart. Slowly getting into a nightgown I adjusted the Japor snippet. During the time I had spent in the refresher, I had not made any progress with the mess of emotions inside. I felt desperate, but I knew nothing was going to save me but myself. There was no way I could think rationally. As much as I hated waiting for a solution, I needed to rest before I could deal with the overwhelming memories and emotions.

I crawled beneath the dull grey quilt and tried to sleep.

.


	8. Shadow

7.

The rhythmic metal clicking of a droid interrupted my fitful sleep. With a heavy sigh, I opened my eyes slowly to see what it was doing. Glinting silver and onyx metal reflected from the foot of the bed, the protocol droid preparing a small medpac and what appeared to be a bacta injection. I watched closely, examining the metallic casing and watching its tedious movements intently, until I decided it wasn't anything but a standard model.

It looked up as I stirred to prop myself up against the overly plush pillows. As it spoke I still expected to hear a different voice than the soft yet mechanical feminine tone that floated in the room. "Miss Amidala, I am a medical protocol droid of the MD-27 variety. I am to treat you during your time on board."

I nodded in response. "Of course," I replied, somewhat relieved I wouldn't have to walk throughout the ship. It was already worrying that the superior officers knew of my presence. Those that were freshly trained and perhaps weak-willed knowing would be disastrous. If this was Anakin's idea, I had to give him credit. That did nothing to lessen the frustration I felt towards him, however. The droid made a quick gesture of understanding and then went back to its preparations. After another minute, it walked to me with the syringe in hand. I looked towards the far end of the room. The cool metal of the droid's hand prepared me for the vicious sting of the injection; I tensed in response. I took a deep breath and waited for the pain to subside, while the droid finished the treatment by giving me a simple tablet.

Within a few more minutes, the droid's mechanical creaking was slowly fading down the suite's corridor and I rose from beneath the stiff grey sheets. As I stood, I brushed my curls away from my face and attempted to straighten my gown.

The mirror in the room was only a few paces away and I rushed each step until I stood next to its pristine, glossy surface. My face was as youthful as I had remembered, my wan complexion only making me appear ill. I reached a single slim finger towards the calm reflection and traced my face. It was the same face that had fought for the Naboo; the same one that had put every piece of her being into saving democracy in the Senate.

I reached for the Japor pendant again as it glistened in the dim light. The feeling of the wood brought me closer to that now non-existent past. Warm memories flowed freely in my mind; surprisingly, none of them were tarnished by my pain. I smiled slightly, reassuring myself, before looking up once more at my face in the mirror. I returned another stray curl among the other deep waves of brunette, smoothed them carefully, and turned away.  
As I spun, a flash of light caught my eye.

I turned back to the movement and faced the viewport. Menacing, oppressive ships filled the space between the planet and I, nothing changed from the wars that had supposedly ended 20 years ago.  
I saw the light again, a blaze of green from one of the massive ships. A small freighter attempted to escape the intense plasma beams before being obliterated in a small explosion. Flames surged from under its hull before it exploded and bits of debris scattered in its former path before they faded away.  
I found myself clutching the Japor pendant tightly; worried about how utterly oppressed and impoverished the galaxy had become under Palpatine's cruel fist. Under Anakin.

_You're a good person, Anakin... don't do this._

My words echoed softly; a whisper from the past. He should have believed me. We could have had everything he wanted - everything I had wanted. I shook my head to chase away the thoughts. I hated thinking about the past and what I couldn't change. But now it seemed to be like a raging fire, surrounding me, choking off my rationality...  
I lurched away from the viewport frantically trying to stop my train of thought, and was startled by the large, mechanical figure of Anakin's suit. With a small jump, I stopped in my tracks.

"Yes?" I asked coarsely, still shaken by his sudden appearance. I watched the glowing lights on his chestplate, trying to avoid his eyes behind the darkened duroplast. His presence was hauntingly warm, enticing, and I tried to push it away in my mind.

"I wanted to tell you we would be leaving for our destination momentarily." His deepened voice stopped abruptly and I could tell he was frustrated. I couldn't tell if it was with himself or something other.

I feigned a smile and stared blankly into the onyx mask. "Thank you." My voice took on its usual even, diplomatic tone. Something he hated, but I didn't want to give away my thoughts or feelings.

He stood motionless; unsure what to respond with. I could feel the storm of his emotions. Each breath from his vocabulator marked their ebb and flow and it was the only break in the unnerving silence.

My own voice startled me as it resonated in my mind, and I opened my mouth fighting to not repeat what it had said.

_The children... _

The intensity of the idea blinded me from my other thoughts. Shock continued to skitter down my spine, my shoulders stiffening.

_The children... 20 years old..._

Were they even alive? Could I find them? Did Palpatine know? 

I felt my face pale, and Anakin's posture visibly tensed, unsure of what was happening. His protective nature caused him to reach a hand towards my arm, ready to steady me. I bit my lip harshly – hoping for the pain to come as a distraction from the thought.

I barely noticed his movement at first. The words I was trying so desperately to avoid flew at light speed through my mind; the ideas were like the sparks of light that faded after mere seconds. My conscience argued angrily within itself, like acid threatening to eat through its boundaries.

Their memory frightened me. I didn't know what had happened and I couldn't think rationally for that reason. I couldn't decide what to do, how to react.

_Should I tell him? He'll know I lied, his anger... But if Palpatine knows, it may already be too late._

My face began to flush and I sat down on the edge of the bed, trying to block away the urge to exclaim my thoughts.

Anakin continued to stand awkwardly and I could feel his worry and uneasiness join with his waning frustration. He took a hesitant step forward. All I could do was wave him away, hoping he'd leave me. He did, though reluctantly, his heavy boots clicking as he turned and disappeared into the hallway. I sat back onto the bed.

Guilt began to radiate through me at the thought of keeping them from him and pushing him away.

But I couldn't trust him. Not yet.

The ship lurched slightly and the quiet hum of the engines filled the room. I breathed heavily, gripping the rough woven sheets in my palm, hoping that would somehow release the stress and fear that was laced into my every muscle.

A fleeting hope crossed my mind, and I wished that by pulling one of those tiny little threads clutched beneath my fingers, that I could somehow unravel time and return to the past.

"Chewie, revert us to lightspeed," Han said as he flicked a group of switches. They were coming up on Coruscant and he estimated they would arrive within the next hour or two. If the hyperdrive didn't fail again. Chewie grunted, and nearly in sync with his co-pilot began to adjust a few various levers and knobs that littered the console.

Breha entered the cockpit as she nervously wrung her aged hands. Memories of Padmé crossed her mind and the fear of her friend being held by Lord Vader threatened to take over. Her nerves were already frayed from her daughter and husband being held captive. The thin veil hiding her emotions threatened to fall apart at any moment.

"Captain Solo, when we arrive we must land at the Imperial Senate MedCenter. That is where we had Padmé placed in hibernation," she said quietly. The idea seemed silly to her now. She had convinced herself that hiding Padmé somewhere that was in plain sight - yet also well-equipped - would be the best for her. She hadn't counted on being forced to rescue her from Vader or Palpatine's clutches. She should have. Once again, she had misjudged their intelligence and power. With a dispirited sigh she looked to Han, silently wishing she had followed Mon Mothma's advice to have Padmé placed on Alderaan.

Han nodded, and responded solemnly, something extremely rare for him, Chewie noticed. At least he seemed to understand the gravity of the situation. "Yes, your Highness."

As he looked back to Chewbacca, Breha left, still clutching her hands together.

As she returned to the living area, a deflected energy bolt flew past her head. She jumped. Luke looked up from the training remote and hurried to turn off his lightsaber. Old Ben stood as well, his tattered robes floating to the ground. Luke felt the echoes of tormented emotions from Breha and knew she was fighting desperately to keep them in check. Breha feigned a smile. She knew it was useless in a room with Jedi, but she had never been one to show weakness. Luke started to speak but Ben interrupted him.

"Are you alright, Breha?" The question was merely showing compassion. The wizened Jedi already knew the answer. Looking at Ben silently before returning her gaze to Luke, she shook her head and walked slowly to the sleeping quarters.

Luke looked back at the old Jedi, trying to reassure himself after feeling the strain and intense worry from Breha. "I know we will find the Princess and the Senator."

Ben's eyes were still creased with concern as he sat into a high backed chair. "We may find them, but that does not mean we can rescue them. We must be extremely careful when dealing with the Empire. The Dark Side of the Force surrounds them and shrouds their true intentions." He spoke quietly, and Luke sensed his hesitancy; there was something the old Jedi was hiding.

"Ben, there is something you aren't telling me." Luke's blue eyes seemed to burrow into his own. Much like his father, Obi-Wan reflected. They contained an intense craving for knowledge along with a bright spark of defiance.

"There are things about the past that you will find out in time. I cannot tell you anything right now." He was being enigmatic, as he usually was, and Luke hated that about his responses. Discovering something at the exact moment it was needed wasn't Luke's idea of learning; he much preferred to know everything beforehand.

"Ben, I need to know," he urged on, hoping that his pressing the issue would finally change the answer.

"Persistency is not always the way to gain knowledge, Luke," he began, a light echo of sternness crossing his voice. "Some answers you must find out yourself. Now we shall continue with your training."

"Alright," he said. With a sigh Luke gave in, trying to hold back his frustration as Ben had instructed him to. He turned on the remote again and ignited the vibrant sapphire blade. His frustration slowly chipped away and gave way to focus. With his eyes closed, he attempted to create the small droid in the blackness of his eyelids. Soon he was moving the blade effortlessly, blocking the small energy blasts that fired upon him with almost perfect accuracy. He could feel every vibration in the ship beneath his feet and sense the every move the remote made.  
After only a few moments, the blade began to feel heavy in his grip, and his pulse began to throb uncomfortably, snapping him from his focus. Discouraged, he readjusted his hands and took a deep breath, trying to detect the droid once again. Only blackness greeted him. Giving up after a few long seconds, he tried to break himself completely from his focus.

His eyes felt heavy as he tried to open them, but they finally yielded to his command.  
Instead of the close quarters of the Falcon greeting him, he was once again in the long, dark halls of his dream. A figure was marching forward. _The same figure._ Luke gasped as his blade slowly pulsed into view. The shadows seemed to close in on him and fear clutched at his throat as he blinked frantically to clear the vision. A mere second later, the entire hall had faded to the confined common room, and he felt the harsh sting of the remote's small plasma beam upon his shoulder.

He shouted out as his lightsaber clattered to the floor. Ben moved his eyes to meet Luke's own.

"Sorry," Luke mumbled, embarrassed by his lack of focus. "I just wasn't paying attention. I guess I was distracted."

Ben eyed him cautiously, sensing his anxiety. "There is no emotion, only peace," he reminded quietly, ensuring the words had been heard before continuing. "Think only of the threat, let the Force guide you. If you lose focus or if you allow emotions to take over in true danger, you won't be escaping with such an inconsequential injury."

Luke took his lecture with a quick nod of his head, relieved there were no questions to go along with it. His blade shot to life as he bent down to retrieve it, the effervescent blue dusting their dismal surroundings. He put the blast shield down this time, not wanting to close his eyes again.

For the next few minutes he continued to reach for the ebb and flow of the Force. Each subtle movement in its flow guiding him, he cleanly caught the beams of energy from the remote. Minute after minute disappeared to his determination and eventually he felt the Falcon shift under his feet as it slowed from light speed. A quick movement of his wrist flipped up the blast shield. The remote tried to fire a last shot, but Luke quickly deactivated it and his cobalt blade simultaneously.

Ben was sitting completely still in the chair behind him, the light noise of his breath the only sign he was alive. Luke gently placed the helmet down onto a table before sitting as quietly as he could manage. A jolt of anxiety passed through him as he clipped his saber to his belt and remembered what lay ahead.

The news reports and the tall tales of Biggs and his other friends formed vivid scenarios in his head. Stormtroopers fighting against them as he nobly protected the hostages, running down the steel corridors and turning to shoot waves of troopers. He smirked at the thought until the scene faded quickly.

He was alone, facing the uncertain form of Darth Vader. Faceless, unpredictable, and impossible to defeat. Oppressive shadows like those of his vision created walls of fear and he fell back helplessly into them, before the mammoth figure of Vader leaned over him.

Shaking his head quickly and trying to scatter the thought, he began to wonder how long exactly it would take until they reached Imperial Centre. As his mind began to wander off again, Han swung into the room.

Luke started and stood, just as Ben woke from his stone like trance.

"We're too late." Han rushed through the words and the loud barks of Chewbacca nearly cut him off. "They're here. 5 Imperial ships, Star Destroyers. Thousands of fighters. And now they know we're here." He took a breath and throwing his head toward the Wookiee's calls, gave an unintelligible shout.

He turned and rushed back to the cockpit, Luke directly behind him.

Noticing Luke's footsteps behind him, he decided they could use his help in what seemed to be an imminent confrontation.

"Kid, we might need some help in a minute. Sit right here," he said as he motioned to a small seat in the cockpit, directly behind Chewie.

Just as he had sat into the pilot chair, a garbled signal forced its way from the comm, and Han pressed the button to reply. He failed to think of an unrecognisable name for his ship before answering. "This is the captain of the unidentified YT-1300. We're making a charter trip, no cargo, just passengers." A hint of frustration flitted through his voice, more with his lack of creativity than anything.

The signal cleared as a voice finally broke through. "Unidentified YT-1300, this is the Star Destroyer _Devastator,_ you are unauthorised and within Imperial airspace. Please transmit a ship ID code and your authorisation, or you will be fined and detained."

Han reached into a small bag beside his chair, muttering under his breath. "Nice bunch of people, huh?" His words were bitter and laden with sarcasm. Chewbacca barked in agreement. Han finally found an ID that he had barely used and sent it through the ship's computer. Still irritated, he clicked the comm back on, waiting for the approval.

Within a few moments, the warped voice returned. "To which spaceport are you heading?"

Han responded quickly, glad he still remembered something about the planet's organisation and spaceports after spending most of his time in the Outer and Mid Rims. "Level 27 of the Imperial Centre Spaceport."

Another deafening silence fell upon them before the disembodied voice spoke. "We must divert you to another spaceport away from the central city." The comm clicked twice. "We are sending you an approval code for another location. Please proceed there at once."

Han saved the code as it appeared on the navicomputer, now thoroughly annoyed. His relief at their lack of interest disappeared; he now had to worry about how they would get to the MedCenter. And if they would even make it out alive. It was obvious they wanted something on the planet; the 5 star destroyers told Han that. It was utterly foolish to try and convince himself it wouldn't be this Senator they themselves were after. He motioned to the Wookiee with a nod of his head, his voice cautious. "Chewie, keep an eye out."

_No bounty is worth this_, he thought silently, noting that Luke had been completely quiet during the whole ordeal. He normally preferred it this way, but the silence had transformed from peaceful to eerie and unsettling.

"Look, Luke," he started, guiding the Falcon towards the atmosphere, "I have one of those bad feelings again, I'm pretty sure this is going to be a suicide mission. You sure you want to do this?"

Luke snapped out of his blank state to meet Han's. "It's what I have to do." His tone was unconvincing and hesitant and he tried to mask it in his urgency.

Han opened his mouth with a rebuttal on the tip of his tongue, and was swiftly interrupted by a unsettling trill from Chewie. Three pairs of eyes trained on the Star Destroyers that had been hovering menacingly. There were only four.

Before Han or Luke had time to ask what had happened, they received their answer. A quick blast of white hot plasma burst from the fourth Star Destroyer's engines, before it stretched into a speck and disappeared.

"They're leaving!" Luke exclaimed, incredulosity and shock widening his eyes like the twin suns of Tatooine. Chewbacca began to adjust the console, nodding to Han questioningly.

"Tell me something I don't know, kid," Han shot back, before quickly manoeuvring the Falcon away from the atmosphere. "Turn on the cloaking now, Chewie." A few switches clicked into place under his hands and the ship shuddered. He hoped his less than satisfactory repairs would hold.

Luke jumped up as the pieces fell into place. "What are you doing?" The only thing in front of them was the menacing silhouettes of the remaining Imperial ships. They were heading straight towards them.

Han only half turned to respond, growing further agitated by his constant barrage of questions. "Following them. And maybe hitching a ride." He smirked ruefully before motioning to Chewbacca, who entered a few codes into the console. The Falcon lurched forward and began to cruise at a breakneck pace.  
Within moments they were behind the bridge of one of the Star Destroyers, and moments after that Han had set the Falcon up against it.

"You'd better know what you're doing, Han." Luke half-lectured him, his usual composure and sense of adventure failing. Very few people he had met had guts like Han seemed to. None of them would get within 4 parsecs of a Star Destroyer, he knew that much. This wasn't brave by any standard, this was stupid. He sat back in his chair, crossing his arms tightly. "I don't like this."

"Don't worry. We'll float off as soon as they drop out of lightspeed. And they can't see us, I've put on our cloaking," he reassured, though his own lack of confidence betrayed his words. "I knew a few people who tried the same thing a few years back. They turned out fine..."  
Well, they would have, if they hadn't pushed their luck. Han grimaced at the thought of the Falcon being shot to dust... or worse, Imperial prisons. He changed his focus to turning down the ship's power and diverting it to the cloaking device, before turning back to Luke.

"As I was saying, sit back, enjoy the ride. Wherever they're going, we're going too." Chewie growled in response, before sitting back in his own chair. Han waved him off before continuing his rambling. He still hoped these two were worth it. Truthfully, he didn't even know why he hadn't turned back. He should have, he definitely would have, but the thought hadn't even crossed his mind. So much for avoiding the Empire…  
"Anyway, we'll be there before you know it," he said half-jokingly, trying to lighten the room's now oppressive atmosphere. Leaning back, he watched Imperial Centre begin to grow smaller. The sight turned into a nest of chromoflies in his stomach. There was no turning back now; they would be pulverised by the change in speed. He turned back to look at Luke.

"All we need to do is wait."


	9. Trapped

Chapters are going, but they'll be shorter. Sorry for the loooong delays. I've got another one in the works, it'll be here much sooner. :)

8.

Luke…

A whisper in Ben's voice cut through the silence. Luke looked up quickly, scanning the corridor for his figure. Finding it empty, he shook his head in disbelief and looked towards Han. He hadn't so much as glanced up from the console.

"Did you hear something?" he questioned.

"No," Han replied curtly, his eyes still fixed on the navicomputer. "Did you?"

"I thought I heard a voice. I guess it wasn't anything," Luke said after another expectant glance to the vacant corridor. Not even a shadow lurked within the ordinary metallic walls. He mindlessly adjusted the clip on his lightsaber hilt and pushed it to the side before he leaned back into the small chair.

Luke...

The whisper came again, its gossamer touch sending a shiver down his spine. He looked again, still seeing nothing but the cramped hallway. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to decide whether to ignore what he had heard. Maybe Ben would be able to help and talking to him would be a good idea. He could probably at least teach Luke something new. Even some more basic lightsaber training could help. It definitely couldn't do any harm, he reasoned, his eyes still focussed on the dimly lit passageway.

"I'm going to go talk to Ben," he said suddenly, looking to Han and Chewbacca.

"Sure," Han responded, giving him a sidelong glance.

Luke stood and left giving a curt nod before heading back towards the common room.

Han sat back into his chair. Though Luke's sudden departure had distracted him, he was relieved by the cockpit's emptiness. With Luke now gone the looming destination seemed to be somewhat avoidable. At least he could try to ignore it.

He sighed, checking the navicomputer again. The loathing he had for his earlier decision was still stewing in his gut, and it created a miasmic brew paired with the irritatingly long wait to wherever it was they were headed.

Settling back in, he looked up only occasionally to check the blinking console or the stars through the viewing panel.

Chewbacca turned to him and growled, breaking through the hum of lightspeed travel.

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the comment, he leaned back further in his seat. "I know, but it's not like we'll have to go with them. I say we descend to the nearest planet, wait for 'em there."

Chewie growled again, this time taking a defensive tone. The Wookiee had never liked the Empire and it was for good reason. Han's reassurance didn't make him feel any better about the situation.

"Listen, it'll be fine," he responded calmly. "You know me, we'll work it out." He leaned forward, watching the readings on the Falcon's navicomputer. That at least was true. He had gotten them out of a more than a few less than stellar situations - even if he was the reason they'd gotten into them in the first place.

There was always a first for things though. Unfortunately that also meant there was a last to go with it. Han tried to hide the disgust that reared up at the thought and turned back to look at the deep vacuum surrounding them.

Chewbacca simply gave a sharp bark in response, indicating he wasn't about to argue, and shook his head.

The sound of boots against the plasteel floor gave Han a short warning before Luke re-entered the cockpit.  
With a mild sigh, Luke sat back into the small chair and looked straight ahead.

Han didn't bother to turn around before speaking. "You alright?" he asked, only a twinge of true sincerity in his voice.

"Wha-?" Luke cut himself off as he understood the question, "Yeah. Fine," he replied, trying to avoid discussion. Ben had called him out on the vision and had just finished recounting every generic detail of what could possibly lay ahead in his mission. Except what Luke really wanted to know. He didn't know what exactly the topic was; but he knew Ben was still withholding it. Frustration creased his brow as he attempted to find hints in Ben's words.  
With nothing standing out to him, he grew more irritated. The lessons ran through his mind and he tried to remember what Ben had taught him.  
Patience, awareness, calm.  
Words from the Jedi code joined the trio in a silent chant. He closed his eyes and tried to slow his racing thoughts.

As soon as he had begun the exercise, the ship lurched under him. Han snapped his head up to see the stars begin to stretch into pinpoints of light. "Is the cloaking still up, Chewie?"

He let out a low trill, nodding his head once.

"At least that's still hanging on," he replied and smirked, pleased with his handiwork. "Turn up the thrusters, half power should do it."

Chewbacca turned a knob directly above him, before turning to his right and adjusting a few blinking lights among the thousands along the walls. The engines burst to life, almost deafening compared to the previous silence.

"So far so good," Han mumbled, hoping everything would hold up long enough to get to the surface of the planet...

"What system are we in?" Luke asked, finishing Han's train of thought.

As Han looked back to the dashboard of twinkling lights and panels, Luke looked towards the corridor instinctively. A light, warm presence had draped itself across him and it could only be Ben.

Ben had walked into the room, his footsteps ghosts in the thrum of the Falcon's thrusters. His eyes their soft blue melding with the black of space as he stared out the viewport. He took a seat slowly before acknowledging the three of them who had now turned to watch him.

Han looked back towards the navicomputer their location finally appearing.

"Raioballo," he replied belatedly, "Dantooine system."

Luke nodded silently.

A groan followed by a violent tremor shook the Falcon.  
"They've almost reverted to cruise speed," he said, directing the comment to Chewie, "Get ready to pull the landing gear."

The Wookiee hovered his hand over a switch, waiting for the signal from Han. The stars finally dotted the sky in their usual shape, pinpoints of soft blues, oranges, and white. Another tremor shook beneath them and Han nodded to Chewbacca.

Ben and Luke leaned forward slightly as the Falcon broke off from the Star Destroyer. The sky twisted as they floated aimlessly away and Han breathed a low sigh of relief.

A sudden and deafening screech followed by a violent jolt caught his breath. Hoping it was merely one of the thrusters acting up, he checked the systems.

They had stopped moving.

The results of the scan flashed onto the dim screen. Not one, but both thrusters had failed along with the cloaking. Full power still flowed to both thrusters; which left only one option.

The Imperials had noticed them and they were caught in a tractor beam.

He was about to try to push the engines and pull an evasive manoeuvre when Luke stood and pointed through the viewport.  
"We're being pulled to that moon. Is that even possible?" he sounded confused and looked to Han. "Unless it's got an artificial gravity well..."

Ben's voice cut through Luke's sentence. "That's no moon," he exclaimed, "That's a space station."

Han's eyes grew wider as he examined it. The edges were smooth; no craters, flora, or imperfections dotted the surface. Its grey surface was dotted with tiny lights and perfectly symmetrical rectangular holes. A squad of fighters swooped around the front, like small mudflies in the hot sun.

Ben was right. It was a space station, but not just any space station.  
It was Imperial, and it was pulling them in.

Han clenched his teeth and slowly turned a knob. This wasn't good. No. This was extremely bad, he corrected himself as he waited for the ship to respond. A click from the control panel and the power restored. The engine hummed softly before growing into a roar. Chewbacca watched him, understanding instantly; then reached for the thrusters to turn them up to near full power. With a steady hand, Han manoeuvered the ship until it was facing the opposite direction and gave the last signal to Chewie.  
He turned around to see both Luke and Ben looking at him incredulously.

"Strap in, this isn't going to be pleasant," he ordered, trying to keep calm.

Luke grabbed the small belt to his left and Ben did the same, though he raised an eyebrow apprehensively. He had mentioned he didn't like any sort of fancy flying in the cantina, but Han didn't exactly have a choice. If this worked, the Falcon would need major repairs. The hyperdrive would last, but the power cells would be reduced to half capacity at best. They wouldn't be getting very far. A jump across the system would be the best case. At least they'd be getting out of range of the Imperials. After that they could make it to Dantooine and hide somewhere.

Chewbacca growled, asking if he was ready.

He reached for the engine start and held his breath. If they failed there wasn't much they could do, other than to be pulled in. He pressed the button and waited for the engines to flare. They burst to life in a cacophony. The force of the engines struggling against the tractor beam pressed the four of them against their seats.

Luke watched the sky, waiting for the stars to move that slight bit. They remained the same; merely distorted by the well of energy around them.

And then the engines began to fail, their usual noise morphing into a faltering whine. Han pushed them in a last bid, getting the Wookiee to do the same with the thrusters. The systems resorted to a brash shrieking before completely failing, the cockpit falling under an ominous silence.

"Blast!" Han exclaimed, hitting his fist against the console. He had nothing left.

He started to quickly check the power; trying to divert other functions and hoping to restore it enough to try again. The engines sputtered with the surge, before once again silencing. Chewie growled twice, first condescendingly, then with a curious appeal. Thinking for a moment, Han realised with a melancholy grin that the Wookiee was right. He patted him on the shoulder and spun in his chair.

Luke stood as Han did, concerned with the turn of events. "What are we going to do now?"

"Follow me," he stood as he directed them towards the common room. Luke leaned a head to one side and Han matched his questioning gaze with an icy tone. "Get the droids and the Queen and bring them to the main corridor."

Luke nodded, though only partially understanding and nearly ran into Ben as he hurried out of the room.  
The old Jedi simply shook his head before falling behind Han's quick pace.

Chewbacca turned off the last few non-vital functions of the ship and followed Han and Ben.  
He let out a reassuring snort - directed more towards himself than the group - hoping that his plan would work, and not daring to think of the consequences if it didn't.


	10. Choice

9.

_Choice_

The low vibration of the sublight engines below me grew deeper as I walked from the small kitchen into to the room's living quarters. I put down the glass of water I had just filled and took a cautious step to look out the viewport.

A planet swirled with white, gold, and blue, half of it covered in shadow. There was a moon floating close by which seemed to be casting the darkness. I watched as space glided soundlessly beneath us, expecting the ship to turn at any moment towards the planet's serene surface.

Instead we continued to coast forward, the engines' thrum growing quieter by the minute. I craned my neck and looked confusedly at the approaching moon.

Before I realised it wasn't a moon at all.

I took a step back, finally seeing the full silhouette of the space station. A gasp broke free from my chest as I watched it inch closer to us. It was enormous, rivalling the size of Rori and Tasia. The sun dully glared on its surface, obstructing it from the planet below. Fighters danced across the vast grey arrow of the Star Destroyer stretching out in front of me. Two more ships paralleled us in perfect formation, their bows cutting through the pristine darkness around them. Anxiety began to once again grab hold of me.

I had been reassured enough that being on this Star Destroyer would be safe. Anakin would at least be on board; though I hadn't forgiven him, he wouldn't lose me again. But this was a vast station; the size would mean that he couldn't be in close range. I would be alone, surrounded by the Empire.

I took a deep breath to soothe my nerves. It didn't help. My pulse continued to pound in my ears, prickling heat creeping from my shoulders to my neck.

_What is he thinking?_

Droplets of anger added to my flare of anxiety. He hadn't told me anything aside from when we were leaving, I hadn't seen or heard from him since I had asked him to leave earlier. I didn't truthfully want to see him. I still hadn't even thought of forgiving him.

If I was ever going to.

I bit my lip as I glanced towards the viewport again. We were even closer, the space station obscuring half of the limpid pane. I took a step back; it almost made the choices that I needed to make seem less important, trivial. Though I never had wanted to escape from adversity before, I felt truly overwhelmed. My mind wandered back to the most recent talk with Anakin and the tingling of nervousness returned with it.

If he had wanted to tell me something earlier...If he knew anything...

My conscience screamed at me.  
_You shouldn't have pushed him away, you should've told him. _

The two choices played over and over in my mind, shrill and demanding. To tell him or continue to hide the truth. Neither was any more appealing. The ghosts of the past joined them, whizzing about and weaving a seemingly impenetrable wall of emotions. I pressed my palms to my eyes, trying to stop my churning thoughts and fall away from the present. Just seconds would be enough.

I stood motionless in the centre of the room for what felt like hours, letting my mind push against the boundaries. My surroundings became ethereal and the incessant voice finally dulled to a drone. I slowly pulled my hands away; bursts of vibrant blue and black floated in front of them. Stars dying out moments after their birth, lost to history. It was then I realised that I was insignificant and truly lost. I knew nothing. It was as if I had been pulled from the past and placed in some grotesquely shaped future that I could never begin to understand. Even the one person I had sworn to love eternally had been moulded to the same twisted fate. I no longer knew the only one I had left.

I waited for my eyes to readjust to the dimly lit room before looking back to the viewport, once again feeling anxiety begin to slowly break free from underneath the calm. The station was now unavoidable. Only thin slivers of space separated the ship from the cold, dystopian surface. Lights glared out from behind the jagged edges and spires of metal jutted from the crevices. Fighters swooped in front of the bridge, criss-crossing as they circled the ship dizzyingly. Directly in front of us a hangar, an open maw waiting to swallow the ship; to take me from whatever past I once had and trap me. Red lights glistened on either end like threatening fangs, warning me against any attempt to escape.

I instinctively stepped back. My heart was pounding. My blood coursed through my veins, whispering doubt filled questions with each throb. I couldn't hold them back any longer.

Where was he? Was he hiding something? Was Palpatine here?

But the questions stopped abruptly and a single word took over.

_Trust._

The whoosh of blood repeated it like a broken holo recorder. Over and over again, mocking me. Trust was something I had already given, only to have it used against me in the end. I didn't know what trust truly was to Anakin, I certainly didn't want to give it again. Not now, perhaps not ever. Though somewhere deep in my heart there was that belief that he was still good. That we could redeem him. There was the part of me that just wanted us to be back on Coruscant, wrapped in his embrace as the sun rose, the golden light dusting his hair and warming the world around us. For it to simply being us, together, nothing more to worry about. I wanted more than anything for this all to be some twisted dream that would fade away into oblivion.

I realised I did trust him; though it was only a sliver hidden deep within.

_But how could I? _

I clenched a fist, feeling my nails dig deep into the skin. I vaguely realised that my thoughts were going in circles. I let a long sigh out, watching the last view of space slip behind the enormous orb. Giving up had never seemed an option until now. Now I felt trapped, anxious to find the truth but surrounded by shadows and lies. I felt as if I wasn't grounded, that I was simply floating between two realities.

I turned away from the panel of transparisteel and walked slowly back to the kitchenette, picking up the glass of water. I hoped something to drink would help calm me. The warm water at least felt soothing as I held the glass. My hand shook slightly as I took a cautious sip. It wasn't much; I hadn't eaten in two days. Instantly I had to brace myself against the wave of nausea that followed. I leaned back against the durasteel wall, closing my eyes to stop the heaves that burned in my abdomen. It passed soon after and I made my way back to the couch, leaving the glass behind.

I simply closed my eyes, pushing everything else away.

-

As I focussed on the ships quieting whine beneath my feet and then my breaths, I heard the door click against the lock. I snapped my eyes open and stared straight towards it, frozen, waiting for it to slide open. Part of my mind knew it was Anakin, but there was still the creeping doubt it would be someone else.

I looked away right as the door opened; trying to hide the fact I had even cared to glance over. The click of his armoured boots ended abruptly and I moved my eyes slightly to the side to see he had merely stopped. I ignored him and as discreetly as possible directed my eyes away again. He still stood; his alien breathing causing the hairs on my neck to stand on end. I refused to move until he did. The noise of his respirator encroached into my mind and made it more than impossible to ignore him.  
The harsh breathing turned to knives against my eardrums. The sickening worry and fury like white hot metal in my chest, I tried to keep my eyes averted. A few more moments passed, and I felt I could almost touch the frustration between us. I couldn't hold out anymore. I felt like my anger was charring my heart as it smouldered deep in my gut. His mechanical breaths continued to grate against my nerves.

I stood up in a rush, taking two steps forward before either of us registered it. Another violent wave of nausea caused my stomach to lurch and I staggered before getting my bearings. I stood only a few feet away from him.

My eyes narrowed, glinting with frustration. I wanted to scream.  
"I did not agree to this," I growled, my boldness surprising me and sending jolts up my spine. I didn't give him time to respond. My voice became frigid.

"After everything," I paused, the words shrill. "I do not condone being put on a space station surrounded by them."

I didn't care the consequence. If he truly loved me like he had said, he would listen. If he didn't... I wouldn't stay. I knew I couldn't love him the same I had 20 years ago either way. As much as I wanted to rewrite the past, I couldn't just ignore it.

"Padmé?"

His voice shattered my thoughts and brought me back to the living room.

"Yes?" I asked.

"I've arranged for you to be in a suite near the meeting rooms. I'll be on that level the entire visit. My best men will be patrolling as well." he said, his voice now bizarrely quiet.

Though his words should have been soothing, I was now concerned about the attention it would gain from others, as if the idea of simply being on the station wasn't enough. My back stiffened instinctively and I shook my head. "Who's in control?"

His head leaned back with what I assumed was shock.  
I repeated myself after a second. "Who's in control of it?"

He cleared his throat, briefly interrupting the rhythmic breaths. "Wilhuff Tarkin." He was almost sheepish, reluctant to tell me the truth.

My eyes narrowed. "Him?"  
I had never liked Tarkin. Self-centred and arrogant, his only loyalty lay with power in his hands and credits in his account. He was quick to judge and quick to use whatever authority he was given. The times I had met him, once in particular on Coruscant, he had pushed my diplomacy to its limits. He spoke as though he was above others and had addressed them with obviously facetious respect. Anakin hadn't disliked him as much as I did; but then again he hadn't spent his life dealing with the unsavoury types, picking apart their every movement and word. Whatever intelligence and potential Anakin had seen in him was, in my mind, buried beneath his immoral causes.  
I placed my hands on my hips. "You trust him?" I asked incredulously.

The void mask betrayed no emotion, not even in the deep recesses of the lenses. I hoped his temper was under control. I couldn't believe he wanted me to let Tarkin take control of my fate. Or that Anakin thought he could trust him with my life. I bit my lip to stop the venomous remarks that stung the tip of my tongue. If this was twenty years ago - during the Clone Wars - I would've more than likely disagreed with his judgment. Now the man had a space station under his command, not just lackeys. I spoke again when he didn't respond. "I can't believe you trust him, Anakin. You know how I felt- how I feel about him."

He nodded once, slowly. I strained to tell if he was truly acknowledging my feelings or simply dismissing them. Regret gnawed at my stomach. I chided myself for the outburst - for speaking against him - reminding myself how volatile his mood was. The warm energy of his that usually surrounded me had turned to a cold, parasitic void. My back tensed and my hair stood on end as the darkness settled into every corner of the room, dense and foreboding. I retreated two steps in an attempt to escape the atmosphere.

His anger was something I didn't understand, one of the only fears I truly had. I didn't know what exactly I had done to set it off and I had no idea how close he was to lashing out. The suit revealed nothing of his emotions. His deep black cloak had shifted, now it draped around his shoulders and shrouded him in mystery. A small glint of silver from his lightsaber hilt sent another shudder through me. I froze my eyes on the chrome handle, expecting him to ignite it at any moment.

But he didn't.

He took a long stride backward as well, distancing himself from me. I felt my eyes widen in shock, the fear that snaked up my spine waning slightly. His helmet tilted toward the ground as he averted his gaze. The mechanical breaths became staggered; I knew he was fighting with his emotions.

The glow of compassion sparked deep inside me. It was dull, but palpable. His mood hadn't settled, he was far from it, but the fact that he was fighting the darkness to spare me was oddly comforting. Proof that a small piece of my Anakin still lay beneath the monstrosity of a suit.

I shook my head, looking back to the room around me. I watched him in silence for a few moments. He still took harsh breaths, but his posture seemed to have relaxed. The oppressive aura of the room had receded. He snapped his head up, the soulless eyes meeting mine.

"A escort group awaits you. My personal best to guard you at all times. You will be safe," he stated, "I promise you."  
He ended the sentence abruptly, awkwardly hanging on the last syllable.

I could almost read his thoughts; he had said the sentence so many times before.

I found my mind rushing back to the night he had the first dream; how troubled and devastated he had been. As the sun rose we sat in silence, its rays shimmered across his tear-streaked cheeks, scattering the night's dark fears into glittering jewels upon his face.

_I promise you._

I shook my head absently in response. The words changed nothing; in fact, they just brought me more pain. The memory splintered into painful shards, cutting easily through the wall I had built between us. He should have been able to feel he fear that still bled from my aura, the only words he had offered as comfort did nothing to stop it. He still stood back from me with his head turned away. I knew he was still fighting to gain control, to push away the temptation of the darkness, but I wished he would listen to me. The empty feeling of worry returned as I watched him. He turned abruptly, his tall figure hovering over me.

His breath hitched again and he cleared his throat. An indiscernible whisper slipped from the vocabulator.  
Somehow I knew it was meant to be an apology. As much as he struggled with it I pulled it in, letting myself tuck it close to my heart reigniting the compassion that had lay there minutes earlier. I started to doubt my earlier hatred and stubbornness, thinking my reaction too severe. I shifted on my feet and waited for him to speak again.

Instead, he spun and left abruptly.

My heart dropped. I had wanted him to change his mind, to have listened to me for even one moment. I fell back into the couch; the cushions were cold and uninviting. My eyes darted around the entire room, the once familiar Naboo art pieces now foreign. There was no comfort in any of the décor. The kind sun of Varykino was long gone from the trinkets around me, leaving desolation in its place.

Just leave.

The words came suddenly as I saw the empty path to the doorway. If I did, the past could fall away. I could change my future and find a new life alone. Nothing would have to matter anymore. I could find the children on my own; have the life I had always wanted.  
But I did the opposite, taking another step backwards.

I knew that I couldn't do it, no matter how I afraid I was of him. I couldn't give up. Not then, not when I could see how weak he was now. I couldn't hurt him when I could still see that glimmer of hope in the vacant mask, that small spark of light that reminded me of our past. I realised he could hurt me again at any moment, that I would have to cope with the constant reminders of my past. But that was trivial. I was safer here than I would be at any far corner of the galaxy.

I turned my back to the door and let my eyes wander back to the viewport. The enormous hangar had closed around us; I had barely noticed that the ship had glided to a halt within its seemingly infinite walls. The air around the ship was filled with whorls of steam, creating a ghostly fog as it scattered the bright lights that lined the walls. A distant beam of crimson light wavered in the mist. I marvelled at the size of the room. Level after level of scaffolding lined the duracrete walls and I could barely make out figures upon them, ant-like people clad in white passed in and out of the fog seamlessly.

I took another breath and continued to watch, knowing that Anakin would return soon. Another jolt of anxiety came with the thought, the unknown encroaching into my already frail confidence. The battle between my conscience continued on; the anger that was still so unfamiliar to me beginning to form as I replayed his words. I had to trust him.

I didn't want to go without a fight, especially not to what might be a death sentence. There was no way I was in a position to attack his decision. Everything was different. I was as vulnerable as I felt, and though I hated him for cornering me… I knew beneath the layers of scarred memories and fear that I had to relinquish some of my control. I had to allow him to help me. I told myself it was only for my safety and nothing more. In the tangled mess of thought and emotion, I wasn't sure that was the truth, or why I even gave in. Whether it was the past, my own weakness, or the future was a mystery.

Anakin returned minutes later, standing at the doorway and waiting for me to follow him. He didn't bother to ask my decision, but I stood and followed behind him without a sound. I made sure I took my time, trying to show the slightest annoyance in my gait. I didn't know if he noticed my reluctance or if he even cared. I felt like a prisoner being lead down the winding path to an insufferable fate. Fear still clawed at me with every step, but I couldn't change anything. Even if I could, I didn't know what was right and I still couldn't see past the uncertainty of the future.

We made a sharp turn into another corridor and I turned away from everything around me; ignoring the commotion, the officers and droids flooding the halls. I resigned myself to simply taking each new step. I knew there was nothing more I could do.

I only hoped I wasn't making another mistake.


End file.
